InFamous Salvation
by JAYSEN
Summary: The RFI DIDN'T end everything. In fact, it is only the beginning and now Conduits the world over have awakened and are being hunted to extinction by the DUP. Follow one young man in his journey to deliver his kind to salvation, with some Infamous help from Cole. RV/Infamous/Various. OCx? M for Salty Language
1. Chapter 1

_**Hello! Welcome to my newest brainchild! I had a rough time polishing the rough draft for this, spending almost a year on it. I hope that all of this effort meets with your approval!**_

_**YOUKAI ACADEMY BUS STOP**_

_**LOCATION UNKNOWN...**_

A yellow bus was roaring along it's route, the driver making his rounds and dropping off his passenger, a young man about 16 years of age who was listening to his MP3 Player while trying to go over all of the events that led up to this moment in his head...

_**FLASHBACK...**_

_The Ray Sphere incident...Something that forever changed the lives of many people who unknowingly carried the Conduit genome. The blast had affected hundreds, possibly thousands around the world and even the RFI blast meant to destroy the Conduits only made their powers permanent along with other unforeseen side effects like wiping out the plague, but it severely crippled the Beast thanks to Zeke Dunbar's tinkering and sheer dumb luck. _

_One such person was a boy named Isaac Rodriguez, who was only 12, the youngest of 4 siblings, when he discovered his power, Aerokinesis, power over Air and the atmosphere around him. At first, he was terrified of it, but he soon learned how to control it on his own in secret. He didn't dare tell anyone, because he had heard in the news and from his friends at school that Conduits were seen as freaks. He was already something of an odd bird due to his irregular hobbies compared to other boys his age. He was into martial arts, freerunning and parkour since he was very young and had the medical record to show for it, having broken each arm once already performing tricks, but now he was getting pretty good at it and he was able to convince his elder brothers to teach him Marine MCMAP. _

_Once he had established decent control over his powers, he began to ponder what to do with his new abilities when he saw a picture of his eldest brother, when he graduated from the Police Academy and joined the LAPD and another of his second brother in his Marine Dress Alpha Uniform, having just graduated from Marine Boot camp. The whole family was so proud of the two of them and to him, they were his heroes. When he was very young, they stood up to the gangbangers that constantly plagued the area and he got his inspiration. Now, Michael was a police officer and while Felix died a hero in combat, his memory served as inspiration._

_ It was very dangerous work for a young boy, but he was also a very smart one. He had been studying up on his science to maximize the effectiveness of his powers and also give him inspirations in how to use them. To add to that, he had been training with a strange old man, a monk he called himself, in Chinatown in Ba Gua Zhang and Bai Ji Quan, along with other forms of Kenpo and Chinese martial arts. Also, one of his teachers at school happened to be a Mestre, a recognized master of Capoeira, and had taken to teaching him after school, increasing his fighting ability. After 6 months, he was able to at least rid his neighborhood and the Echo Park area of the gangs, garnering the admiration of many as a local hero. Even Cole, having survived the incident in New Marais and gone into hiding had heard about him all the way over there, but this also grabbed the attention of some less than desirable people. _

_ Moya Jones had heard the news of this new hero in Los Angeles and immediately recognized him for what he was, a Conduit, a very powerful one like Cole and a handful of others. She had been conspiring with the remnants of the First Sons for years now, surviving the Steel Harbor incident some how. At first, she was trying to get hold of the Ray Sphere but Cole had thwarted her on that end by destroying it and the RFI. Now, she was kidnapping Conduits, using special collars that could suppress their powers to keep them contained while they literally hacked them apart, trying to reverse engineer and produce their own._

_ The epidemic of Conduits going missing was scaring Cole, so he came back out of hiding to try and protect the remaining Conduits. Back in LA, Isaac was now facing his biggest and most dangerous opponent yet, another Conduit that had risen from the gangs and united them. This Conduit, Clayton Diggs, was once just a pathetic lackey for a small time gang, but once he gained his powers over fire, he eventually took over the gang and subjugated several others, going as far as declaring LA as his personal kingdom. He constantly had his followers attack, rape and pillage at will and began to target police officers. One fateful day, his eldest brother Michael and his partner responded to a police call, a school bus full of kids being held hostage, but found an ambush on top of that. His partner was killed instantly by a fire blast, but Mike kept on fighting until the bitter end, dying a hero for buying time for the kids to escape. This was his first major test as a hero, to see if he would still uphold justice, or fly off the handle and seek revenge. _

_ He visited the graves of his brothers, side by side, one lonely night, desperately seeking an answer. He read the epitaph on each headstone._

_Sgt. Michael Rodriguez_

_LAPD_

_March 27 1982 - May 2 2009_

_Willingly gave his life so others may live_

_SGT. Felix Rodriguez_

_1st MEU USMC_

_August 24 1985 - October 14 2008_

_Najaf, Iraq_

_Served his country with Honor and Dedication_

_Silver Star recipient_

_After reading them, he could feel...Something. There was something before him, just barely registering within his senses, but he just couldn't place it. Soon, that feeling became stronger and more intense, as two distinct shapes appeared before him...Two people he knew very well._

_"Little brother...Prove that you're better than him...I have faith in you, Changuito __**(Little Monkey...Issac's family nickname**__)..." Michael told him as Felix took over._

_ "Hey Changuito...Look at you, a badass hero, huh? You've been doing good, little bro. Keep it up..." Felix stated as the two returned to whatever afterlife they came from, where ever heroes go when their time comes._

_ After hearing his brother's words seemingly from beyond, his mind was made up. Clayton Diggs was going to face justice even if it killed him. He then began to systematically strike at the gangs, chipping away at them until Diggs came out of hiding. Finally, his patience paid off. Diggs left himself wide open, allowing Issac to open up with a withering barrage of wind attacks and catching him off guard, but he recovered and the battle raged on. For two hours, the super powered beings fought tooth and nail with the police and citizens watching on, but Issac's studying of science and his skill in martial arts gave him the edge. After beating him senseless on a rooftop overlooking the city, Diggs tried to run away, but forgot where he was. He plummeted over 20 stories down and wound up being impaled by a steel fence post, killing him instantly. _

_ After he finally achieved victory over the would be dictator, Moya Jones had struck, attempting to capture them both. Isaac escaped and tried to return home only to find that Moya had been there first. She and the First Son mercs with her had killed his family and burnt most of his neighborhood to the ground looking for him, later written off as the work of a mad Conduit._

_ Now an orphan, he fled into the city's backstreets, continuing his hero career and avoiding Moya and her lackeys for another 6 months until his luck finally ran out. He had been captured and taken to a secret testing facility, exactly where he didn't know, but he was subjected to painful and torturous experiments. Since he was what they called a Prime Conduit, they refrained from doing anything that could kill him but being kept alive only meant more pain. He was eventually strapped to a bastardized Transfer device, like the one Cole found in New Marais along with another young Conduit his age, a Water user. This resulted in Isaac inadvertently absorbing her powers and killing her in the process. Cole had found out about this place and attacked with everything he had, overwhelming the guards and soldiers posted there and attempting to free the imprisoned Conduits. However, all of them were already dead or vegetables from the cruel and inhumane experiments that were being done there...All but one. Cole found young Isaac in his cell, nearly comatose and largely unresponsive. Shocking him slightly to knock him out, he carried the child to safety while the facility fell apart, taking all of its secrets with it._

_ He had taken the boy to New Marais with him where the good people hid them and covered up their existence. Cole and Zeke managed to get through to the boy and after that, Cole began to teach him more about being a Conduit, eventually having him join him in defending New Marais alongside himself and Zeke. During his time there, the child learned to utilize his water abilities and even pull the ambient moisture from the very air around them. Another ability he'd gained was the ability to propel himself in water like a torpedo and the ability to stand on water as if it were solid, as well as absorb it to heal himself as Cole does with his electricity. That ability had a rather strong limitation, as the water had to be purified first, or else he'd poison himself instead. He had also expanded his wind abilities, such was the ability to remain aloft for extended periods of time and power jumps that could propel him on to rooftops easily, giving him the ability to do combat in midair. Cole, having another Conduit to spar against, discovered a new way to use his powers as well, the E-Mag Gun ability. He could place a small metallic object between his hands and have them act as a Railgun, shooting the object with incredible force, as well as getting some extra exercise and practice with his ice powers. On top of that, Zeke managed to replace Cole's Amp with something better, the Galvanic Knuckles. These hyper-conductive, metal plated gauntlets could amplify Cole's electrical melee attacks and were like having stun guns attached to his fists. There were differences in their powers, as well. Cole had overwhelming force and sheer power, while his new young companion was very, very fast and agile but not near as strong physically although his young age was also a factor._

_ Their time in New Marais lasted for a year, until Moya returned with her new organization, the DUP or Department of Unified Protection. She used the propaganda from Empire City to justify hunting down Conduits, killing them outright if they didn't have the powers she wanted. She attacked the city with a full assault, trying to get at Cole and Isaac. During the assault, Roscoe LaRoche told the three of them to run and leave things to them while he and a grateful city protected their hero for once. It was the last they saw of him and New Marais as from a distance, they saw a massive fireball envelope the city. Moya had set off a massive FAE to destroy the city once she found that they had escaped once again to cover her tracks, blaming it all on them. Now on the run, they were hiding out in the forests of Yosemite in California, but they still tried to help Conduits where they could. Their kind were now labeled as a danger to all mankind, one to be eliminated at all costs and as heretics in the eyes of religion. The three of them had bore witness to several horrifying acts committed by the DUP, including their agenda of genocide. This was beginning to take its toll on the younger Conduit, who was beginning to question if they should ever trust humans outside of Zeke, let alone co-exist with them. He was also deathly silent now, barely even saying a word to anyone._

_ Tenmei Mikogami had followed the Conduit situation since the beginning, since they were a new type of border being like Witches. He understood their plight, but as he tried to contact these people, many refused to come out of hiding and some even killed themselves while the rest had been captured and killed, the DUP rounding them up. Finally, he managed to contact Cole, appearing before them while Isaac slept._

_ "You've been very difficult to find, Mr. McGrath." The Exorcist remarked, spooking them and nearly getting his head blown off by Zeke's shotgun._

_ "I can assure you that I mean no harm. In fact, I would like to extend a welcome into the Monster Community. I am Tenmei Mikogami, and it has been discussed at length and decided that Conduits are now considered Boundary Beings, the bridge between humans and Monsters..." Mikogami stated as he explained about the Monster world, a separate world where Conduits just may be able to live in peace and of Youkai Academy, where young monsters Isaac's age went to get an education and to learn to fit into the Human world._

_ "...This Youkai school sounds like the kinda place where the kid could fit in, Cole. Be around kids his age for a change 'n make some friends." Zeke commented out of concern._

_ "You got a point, Zeke. I've seen what all of this chaos and bloodshed is doing to him, and it's not good." Cole agreed with his friend._

_ "I'll talk to him in the morning. You said that there was a place where we could go that the DUP can't get to?" Cole replied to the robed man._

_ "Yes. An Enclave of Witches have agreed to host the three of you and I could have you taken there, should you come with me. I'll leave you to think on it and return in the morning." The man stated as he disappeared the same way he came, leaving the two men with a decision to make._

_ Morning came and with it, Mikogami returned to hear their decision._

_ "We'll do it. It's for the best." Cole told him, the mysterious man smiling as he ushered them into a cluster after they finished pack what little they had and whisked them away, leaving nary a trace of them behind._

_ They suddenly appeared within the Enclave of Witches in the Monster world, a place that would prove to be a safe haven for them as he took them to the Grand Matron of the Enclave, Hannah Cross. She was an extremely powerful witch who came from America, like themselves, and she could help them settle in._

_ "Ah...So you are the famous Cole McGrath. Your reputation precedes you, young man." She stated without even turning to see who she was talking to._

_ "Whoa...So witches really DO exist...Cool." Zeke muttered, catching her attention._

_ "Mr. Dunbar...I assure you that Witches such as I are only the tip of the iceberg. You are just now taking your first step into a much larger world, yet you do not seem to panic. Why is that?" She asked._

_ "Well...I guess when you've seen as many freaky things as I have, you kinda get used to it. 'Sides, Cole's my best friend and stuck with him through everything, why should this be any different?" Zeke replied, the old witch chuckling._

_ "Good answer, Mr. Dunbar. Your unique perspective will serve you well in this world." She cackled as they were settled in, Isaac being filled in on his new school, where he would be going in a week's time. Classes had already started a month ago, but he would be squeezed into one of the first year classes and with a friendly teacher that should be a good fit for him._

_ He was equally pensive and excited about doing this. Even though Cole and Zeke were going to venture out into the Human World again to find more Conduits and try to guide them there, he was taken in by a small family, the Sendo family. The mother, Fujiko, was a mute, but she was able to speak through a combination of gestures and a form of telepathy. She also had a daughter that was a few years younger than himself, but was going to be in the same grade. He couldn't understand a word of Japanese, but Hannah and Fujiko managed to brew the Lexiconus potion, a draft that would allow one to quickly become fluent in a new language, for them so they could understand what many of the witches and wizards were saying since they were mostly Japanese. That single gesture gained them a measure of the reclusive teen's trust and he began to open up again._

_ "Coming here was the best move we could have made. Look at how the kid's opening up again...This place will do him a world of good." Cole surmised, Zeke nodding in agreeance._

_ "Yeah, but you have to admit that this is pretty cool. I mean...I can speak, read, and understand Japanese now and from a _real_ witch's brew. I'm gonna love it here!" Zeke exclaimed._

_ A week had passed and the time to depart had arrived. The bus rolled up to the gates of the Enclave to pick Isaac up, but Fujiko wanted to ask him to watch over her daughter, as Witches were generally ill-received by other monsters. Her daughter, Yukari, had been informed of him and knew to expect him. Finally, Cole and Zeke had their say._

_ "I'm not too good at stuff like this, but good luck kid. We'll see you when you get back here for Summer Break." Cole stated as Zeke took his turn._

_ "Take care of yourself, kiddo. Oh yeah...Try to snag yourself a girlfriend while you're there, huh?" Zeke joked, the teen coloring slightly as he stepped aboard and was on his way..._

_**FLASHBACK END...**_

"...A scary place...Hey kid, you there?" The bus driver asked, noticing that the teen was zoned out during his little speech.

"Sorry, I was just thinking about some things..." He replied.

"As I was saying, Youkai can be a really scary place. It's not too late to turn back now." The driver offered.

"I've lived through worse..." The young Conduit muttered as they came to a stop.

"We're here..." The driver stated, letting the young man off and then driving back into the darkness of the tunnel, leaving him to wander over toward the school and take in the surroundings.

"Looks like some cheesy horror flick threw up all over the place..." He commented as he padded along a path to the school when a scream ripped through the air.

"What the hell?" He muttered as he tried to locate the source of the scream, using wind currents like a form of sonar to locate the source. Upon finding it, he used his wind abilities to increase his speed, making him look like a blur as he raced toward the source.

Yukari's mind raced as she thought through all of the events that had led up to this moment. She couldn't help it if she was smarter than the rest of her class or that she was a Witch, but their prejudice ran deep and left her isolated. In response to their treatment, she resorted to pranks with her magic to get even with them and to put on a front that what they did wasn't bothering her, but inside she felt completely alone. She then tried to latch onto Moka Akashiya, who she claimed she was in love with and tried to drive away the boy she was with, Tsukune Aono. It didn't work out as planned, so she ran off, only to bump into the Class Rep for her class, who had a particularly strong dislike for her. After she dropped steel wash tubs on their heads in response for their nasty comments, the chase was on, ending with them cornering her in a swamp outside the ground. Once there and convinced that they would get away with killing and eating her, they reverted to their monster forms, that of Lizardmen.

_**"Annoying little bitches...But you look so tasty...Nobody will miss a disgusting half-breed or this pink haired slut, right boys?"**_ The Class Rep boasted to his two fellows as they advance on Yukari and Moka, memories and images of some very unpleasant times running rampant through Isaac's mind.

_**"Disgusting freaks!"**_

_** "Die, sinners!"**_

_** "Heretics!"**_

With that, he snapped, sending out a massive but focused blast of wind to knock them away from the girls.

"BACK OFF!" He roared angrily.

_**"W-who did that?! Who's there?!"**_ The leader yelled out, becoming panic stricken as a somewhat tall young man with olive skin and shaggy black hair stood in front of the young witchling protectively with his arm pointed in their direction, a fierce scowl on his face. Yukari chanced opening her eyes as saw this stranger standing there, protecting her.

You see, due to all of the pent up stress, life threatening situations, and massive trauma in his past, he developed a rather severe case of PTSD. Seeing these girls being attacked and hearing the reason for it was just enough to send him careening over the edge.

"You bastards...Preying on someone who can't even fight back. If you come any closer...I'll kill ALL of you." He snarled, not really himself in his enraged state.

_'Who is this guy? Why did he protect me? He has on a school uniform, but I've never seen him before.'_ Yukari thought as the three lizards were getting up again.

_**"You son of a bitch...I'm gonna eat ALL of you!" **_The leader roared as all three of them lept forward at the fight was on, Tsukune and Kurumu entering the area.

"Moka! What's going on here?!" He yell above the din of combat.

"Those jerks were about to eat Yukari and I, but that guy jumped in and saved us." Moka stated.

"Whoa...He hasn't even used his monster form yet, but that guy's giving those jerks all they can handle." Kurumu commented, but she spied one of them peeling off and attempting to attack Yukari again.

Kurumu couldn't respond in time, but the new student saw it and seemingly flickered away from the fight to shield the young witchling since he didn't have time to pre-empt the attack , the claws leaving three long, deep bloody gashes in his back before he hook kicked his attacker in the face as he rolled out, carrying her to safety. He could have just eradicated them all easily, summon up one of his cyclones to rip them into confetti, but it would have been very messy and he was already pushing his luck by using his wind powers once. He was told that he was to keep his powers and identity as a Conduit under wraps until Cole could find more unless absolutely necessary.

"Here...Take the girl and go!" He yelled as he lept back into the fray, still limiting himself to martial arts and his enhanced physical abilities.

"Moka, we have to get Yukari and get out of here!" Tsukune reasoned, but Moka wouldn't have it.

"No! I have to help him, Tsukune! He helped us!" Moka cried as Tsukune nodded and removed her Rosary, breaking the seal and allowing her to transform into her true Vampire persona. The raw Youki was flooding the area, making the combatants halt their fight and the lizards tremble.

_**"What the hell?! A Vampire?!"**_ The leader cowered in fear as the formerly pink haired girl transformed into this scary looking silver haired woman.

"You all thought that lowly scum like you could actually _eat_ a Vampire?" She sneered at the three offenders, her tone scathing and look condescending, readying an attack as they lept at her out of instinct.

_**"LEARN YOUR PLACE!"**_ She bellowed as she wiped out all three of them with a single attack, the young Conduit watching on in awe and a little bit of horror.

_'I was told that this was a school for Monsters, but seeing it is really freaking different...I just hope all of that Twilight bullshit isn't real...'_ He couldn't help thinking as the hormonal teen in him kicked in.

_'But still...Panties and hot girls...This place might not be so bad. I bet Zeke would sell his soul to come here.'_ He added as this new person addressed him.

"You...You were holding back in that fight." She stated simply, but her tone of voice left no room for compromise.

"I was under the impression and _told_ that we weren't supposed to reveal our monster identities." He replied in a matter of fact tone, trying not to sound defensive, but with the amount of pain he was in that was a tall order. On top of that, based on what he saw, he was no match for her in his current state should she attack him as well, so he tried not to provoke her.

"I can tell that there is much more to you than meets the eye, much stronger than you appear. However, if you want to survive here, do not hold back. I won't be here to save you next time. Since you defended my other half, I will give you the benefit of the doubt, but I will be watching you." She promised as she snagged the Rosary from Tsukune and re-sealed herself, changing back to her light side and slumping from the effort.

"Duly noted..." He grimaced. The pain in his back was teaching him that holding himself back was a pretty stupid idea, but hindsight is always 20/20. Yukari stepped forward to speak to the one who stepped in on her behalf.

"Why...I don't even know you..." She whispered as she walked up to him where Kurumu was helping him stand, the wound on his back bothering him. The wound just happened to be in a place he couldn't reach, or he'd heal it himself.

"Don't really need a reason to help someone...You just do it because it's the right thing to do. That's what I was taught to believe growing up." He replied through a grimace, stumbling slightly due to the blood loss.

_'What I wouldn't give to be able to heal like Cole...This really freaking hurts...'_ He thought. He can heal rapidly, but not nearly as fast as Cole can. With a wound like this, it would take hours for it to heal without revealing himself too much, so he'd have to bite the bullet for now, at least until he knew who he could trust.

"Easy there...That wound looks pretty bad. We really should get him to the nurse and we can talk more there." The succubus cautioned as she shifted his weight slightly to get a better grip, the group dragging him to the infirmary.

Inside his office, Mikogami saw the whole thing and would deal with the three offenders accordingly, but what made him smirk was the fact that Isaac hadn't even been there more than thirty minutes and already fell into saving someone.

_'Heh...Cole taught him well. This will be an interesting year, that's for sure... If he lasts that long.'_ He thought as he contacted his homeroom teacher to let her know what happened.

_**NURSE'S OFFICE**_

The group had gotten their new companion to the Nurse's Office to have his back treated, but also to get some answers. He got his first real good look at them without someone trying to kill him. Moka, the pink haired girl, was hands down one of the most beautiful girls he'd ever seen and she seemed to be rather sweet. The aquamarine haired girl was also extremely beautiful, but also had proportions that would make any model literally green with envy, and quite a few men a little tight in the pants. The young girl he'd rescued wore a cute little witch's hat and cloak with the standard uniform as he'd guessed, but with a corset and stockings with a possible garterbelt.

_'Seriously? This place is a pervert's paradise. Now I KNOW Zeke would do anything to come here even for a few minutes.'_

The rest of them took a good long look at this person who jumped in on their behalf. He was tall, athletically built with jet black hair and light hazel eyes, but had tanned skin. He was also able to fight extremely well in human form, but what raised some questions about what he was was when one of the lizardmen lunged at Yukari, he seemingly blurred from sight in a burst of speed when he was a good 20 meters away and still arrived in time to shield her.

"While we really appreciate that you jumped in when you did, who are you?" Tsukune asked in a confused tone. The prospect of having another guy around to talk to was a very inviting one, being surrounded by girls as much as he was.

"Oh...I'm new here, my first day. My name is Isaac...Isaac Rodriguez." He replied, garnering a gasp from Yukari.

"Wait...My mom told me to expect you..._You're_ him?" She asked as he nodded.

"That must make you Yukari, then. Yeah...Your parents are pretty nice. They took me in and let me stay there in a spare room until it was time to come here." He supplied, explaining a little of how he came to be there.

"So humans discovered your people and now they're on the verge of extinction?" Tsukune asked, fearing the answer. He was human, but he didn't think like they did. Monsters were just like him, living beings, and just because they were different didn't give his race carte blanche to commit genocide.

"You can say that. The Headmaster found the three of us hiding in the Yosemite Forests, saying that an Enclave of Witches offered to take us in. We never knew about this world or of Youkai until a week ago, but it didn't take very long to decide what to do. It was either wait to be discovered and destroyed, or seek asylum. Cole and Zeke, the ones who rescued me from that..._place_..." He spat out with venom as he continued, making them wonder just what could have possibly happened to him at the hands of humans.

"Already left to find more of our kind. Granny Hannah gave them permission to bring back any more of our kind that they can find, but their chances of finding them aren't good. We might be the only ones left." He finished, a haunted look taking over his face.

"Wow...And I thought we Succubi were in trouble..." Kurumu whispered as Yukari walked up and gave him a hug before she turned to face them all.

"I'm really sorry about the way I was acting...If I hadn't been such a brat..." She confessed, tearing up but Isaac stopped her.

"This wasn't your fault. I knew that getting hurt was possible when I jumped in to save you. From what I heard, our kind isn't really welcome here, are we?" He asked.

"...No. Witches have been persecuted for centuries by both monsters _and_ humans, as well as other Boundary Beings and hybrid monsters. Not all monsters feel that way, but many still do, as you saw today." Moka explained sadly as she turned to Yukari.

"You're not alone anymore, Yukari. Your problems are ours now. You don't have to put up such a tough front anymore." She added as the young witch took in all that was said to her. In time, things had settled down so lighter questions could be asked.

"Your name...It doesn't sound Japanese. Where are you from?" Kurumu asked, an honest enough question.

"America, from Los Angeles." He answered.

"But...You don't look like the typical American." The Succubus inquired, quoting manga and anime as her only references since she'd lived her whole life in the Monster World with only the occasional trip to the human world.

"Based on what?" Isaac asked, an eyebrow raised to which she chuckled sheepishly, but he answered anyway.

"That's because my parents were from Mexico when they were kids, but came to the States, met, married and had me." He answered.

"Did you have any siblings? I have three sisters." Moka asked.

"I had my older brothers, Michael and Felix, and my elder sister Magdalena. I was the baby of the family, my sister older than me by 4 years and my eldest brother by 16. What about you guys?" He replied.

"Only child, but my cousin Kyoko is like an older sister to me." Tsukune replied.

"Same here, but I always wanted an older sibling." Yukari added.

"Don't really know anything about my father or other members of my family. All I've ever known was my mother. Succubi don't normally have large families." Kurumu answered honestly.

"Well, out of my sisters, I'm the third child. My eldest sister is Akua, then Kahlua, myself and my younger sister Kokoa." Moka answered with a bright smile.

_'So...All named after drinks...'_ The others thought with a sweatdrop as they continued to talk until his wound finally managed to heal enough for him to leave, but by that time, school was already over for the day.

"Well...I guess we should be headed for the dorms now." Tsukune suggested, the others nodding as the left the building.

_**YOUKAI CAMPUS DORMS**_

The group trekked the long path to the dorms, where they bade each other goodnight but not before Yukari had something special for the newcomer.

"Hey...I just wanted to say thanks for standing up for me like that. When I said I wouldn't have minded an older sibling, I thought about what you told me, that my parents took you in. Maybe...You can be my new big brother?" She asked hopefully, using the puppy dog eyes on him to good effect. He was stunned that she would ask him something like that so suddenly, but then understood how lonely she must be, an only child and on top of that, she is years younger than her peers here, making her even lonelier. He was the baby of his family, when he had them, so he didn't know much about being an elder sibling.

"I...guess so. I mean, I've never been anyone's big brother before, so I guess I'll give it a shot." He replied honestly, making the young girl beam with happiness.

"Thank you!" She cheered as she jumped into his arms and gave him a tight hug, which he returned awkwardly since he wasn't used to this kind of physical contact. She sensed his discomfort and let go.

"We'll work on it." She told him with a wink as she and the girls took off to get some sleep but not before Kurumu and Moka gave Tsukune the _usual_ affection, meaning Kurumu's patented full frontal face rape and Moka snagging some blood.

_'Lucky bastard...'_ Isaac whined internally.

"C'mon...I'll show you around." Tsukune offered kindly as he led the other boy into the building.

"So...What room number are you?" He asked.

"Room 324." Isaac replied.

"Wow, so you're my new neighbor! Cool!" Tsukune cheered. He was happy that this guy was his neighbor and that he seems to be a generally okay person as he helped him settle into his new room. All that Isaac had on him was his street clothes, workout clothes, combat gear, and a few personal effects such as his MP3 and small but powerful speakers that Zeke gave him for his birthday a year ago, along with the required textbooks.

"Why do you have these?" Tsukune asked when he saw the combat gear.

It consisted of Kevlar gloves with light steel plates attached, his battle jacket made of lightweight Kevlar with light armor plates sewn into the chest, back and forearms, all developed by a friendly armorer in New Marais in collaboration with Zeke. He and Cole trained constantly to be able to bear the weight without it slowing them down or wearing them out.

"We had to fight every step of the way to survive. It wasn't easy, I'll tell you that." He answered the question.

"So that was how you were able to fight so well in your human form?" He asked.

"Yeah...Something like that. I've been training since I was little and I got really into martial arts, parkour and gymnastics. I still do them to keep in shape." The conduit replied as he yawned loudly, putting on some music as he got ready for bed.

"You're probably exhausted from that fight earlier. I'll let you get some sleep and I'll come get you in the morning for breakfast." Tsukune said, headed back to his room and leaving Isaac to think for a few moments.

_'This place...It might not be so bad. I mean, those three lizard dudes are considered the norm around here, so maybe I can fit in...just maybe...'_ He thought as he drifted off to sleep.

_**THE NEXT MORNING**_

Tsukune woke up slowly, hearing a knocking at his window to see his new friend rapping on the pane.

"Uhh...What's up?" He asked sleepily, not even noticing that he was clinging to the sill outside of the window easily and on the third floor at that.

"C'mon, man! I was waiting down there for 20 minutes and I'm hungry!" He exclaimed, the brown haired boy's eyes flying open and rushed through getting dressed, running downstairs to see Isaac dropping down from his window. He cringed, but the other boy wasn't even fazed by it, like it was the most normal thing in the world.

"What? I told you I was into parkour." He stated in response to Tsukune's wide eyed gawking, and everyone else's too.

"You mean...Like in those internet videos?" Tsukune inquired.

"Yep. It's a hobby and a faster way of getting from point A to point B." He explained, doing a few parkour tricks to demonstrate on their way to breakfast to meet the girls, who saw him perform a shooting star flip off of a covered walkway, landing in a crouch.

"How did you do that?! WHY did you do that?!" Kurumu exclaimed.

"He's into parkour and free running! That's so cool!" Tsukune answered her on their way in, each of them grabbing their food and sitting down.

"What are those things, anyway?" Moka asked.

"Yeah...I was meaning to ask that, too." Kurumu added.

"The basis of both is to get from one place to another in the most efficient manner possible without losing too much momentum, but freerunnig has you adding style to it. You need to be in good physical condition to even attempt it without hurting yourself, as well as very flexible and agile. I've been doing it for years and in a huge city like Los Angeles, it's a free runner's playground with plenty of places to train if you can get away from the cops and security guards." Isaac explained as he gulped down his bacon and eggs, pounding down his orange juice.

"That sounds really hard, but fun too." Moka thought aloud as they did their dishes before headed off to class.

"I forgot to ask...Who is your homeroom teacher?" Tsukune asked.

"Uh...Something about cats...Nekonome! That's her name." He thought, then remembered.

"Cool! We're even in the same homeroom." Kurumu chirped. She was beginning to like this guy. He was kind of interesting and had interesting hobbies...But there was something else about him that didn't add up, her thoughts being drawn back to the fight yesterday.

_'Bah...No use trying to figure it out now...Maybe later.'_ She thought.

"I gotta go now! Bye!" She chirped as she glomped Moka but gave Isaac a tight hug before going in.

_'Aww...I wanted him to be in my homeroom...'_ Yukari whined as she sat down.

"Are you the new student? I was told what happened yesterday and I hope you're alright." She stated, the concern in her voice making him like her a bit.

"Yeah...I heal quickly, but I'm used to it. Thanks for asking, though." He replied, making her curious, but her questions would have to wait until the end of homeroom since the bells rang to start classes.

"Alright, everyone!" She called out, her voice peppy and perky, to get their attention.

"We have a new student joining our class today! Please step forward and introduce yourself." She coaxed, seeing that he was slightly uncomfortable around crowds.

"Umm...My name is Isaac Rodriguez, 16 and from Los Angeles in the United States." He answered quickly, that last bit of information garnering some interest from the other students.

"You lived in the human world?" One boy asked.

"Uhm...Yeah. My whole life. Born and raised in East LA." He answered quickly and was about to go sit down until a barrage of questions came at him. Before he could do anything else, the teacher asserted herself.

"Okay, kids...We can ask questions later, but for now, it's time for class." She stated as homeroom began.

_**A FEW HOURS LATER...**_

Time passes, as is its wont and we now find ourselves after third period, where the class has been split into male and female groups for PE. Isaac was thinking about how his day had gone so far and academically, he was at least two years behind despite his best efforts. Thankfully, Ririko Kagome and Shizuka Nekonome were understanding after he explained that where he was, there was no one to teach him and he had to teach himself with books he could scavenge. Then, he regarded the teachers themselves.

_'Hmm...Miss Nekonome. The vibe I get from her is nothing but positive and open. She was pretty patient with me and I'm thankful for it. Not my fault I didn't have time to study when we were too busy trying to stay alive. Miss Kagome, though...Shit. Zeke would blow his wad just looking at her and even Cole would probably get a little tight in the pants. But there's something...weird about her. Something that's not right...I'll have to think about this later and when I have more info.'_

In the changing rooms, all of the students were getting changed into their gym clothes to head out to the quad. Issac simply got wrapped up in the motions and forgot where he was when he peeled off his shirt in full view of the rest of the class. Many of them stared with mute horror at what they saw.

"This...That's sick, man...What the fuck are you?" Saizou stammered, the supposedly tough bully horrified by the many nasty looking old wounds and even numbers and letters engraved into the skin on his right shoulder blade. Then a noise that sounded like a gunshot rang out, grazing the bully with a wind bullet that left a clean hole punched through the metal lockers behind him.

"Look away...NOW." Isaac snarled, his eyes glowing with a faint blue light as he quickly covered himself up and headed outside. His scars were a sore point for him, marks of shame from when he was held in captivity and used as a human lab rat, not including his most recent addition to the disturbing mosaic of scarred skin on his upper body. Tsukune snapped out of his daze and chased after him.

"Hey...What did they do to you? Who could be so...cruel and sadistic?" He asked, trying but failing to grasp just what kind of people could carve up living people like a freaking Christmas turkey.

"Not now...Another time, but just not now." Isaac whispered, the other boy getting the subtle hint to leave it alone, but said one last thing.

"We said this to Yukari, but you need to hear it too. I can't even begin to imagine what happened to you or your race, but you can trust us...We're your friends, aren't we?" He reminded the conduit, who nodded silently as they lined up for class, a majority of the other boys staying away from him and his scary looking scars as the coach walked out.

"Alright you worms! Listen up, today, we're doing agility drills and the obstacle course! Fastest time gets a free period tomorrow while the rest have a marathon run!" The coach smirked.

"Aw crap!" Many of the young men whined, making the teacher chuckle.

"Then that reward is a hell of an incentive to move your candy asses, now isn't it? Line up!" He barked, but noticed the new student.

"Oh...You must be the new kid. Nekonome told me to expect you. Since you're new, you get to go first!" He grinned, as Isaac sighed in resignation. He wanted to use that time to train in his own way, not the teachers, so he'd smoke the course as quickly as possible to wipe that smirk off of his face.

"What's the fastest time and the obstacles just need to be negotiated, right?" Isaac asked, his tone all business.

"2 minutes flat, set by me when I went to school here and yes, just get through the course as quickly as you can." He replied smugly as the conduit got ready to begin.

"GO!" He was ordered, so he set off like a shot, hurdling the first wall in almost one leap.

The next set of walls were handle with similar ease. Next came the hurdle logs, which he simply hopped over from post to post without even breaking his rhythm and hit the rope climb. He quickly clambered up the rope with only his arms and rang the bell, Kotsubo stopping the clock at just under a minute.

"Wha...How...?" The teacher stammer, struck speechless, but Tsukune wasn't terribly surprised, having seen him use his freerunning and parkour on their way to school this morning.

"You must have cheated...no way a brat could have beaten my time..." Kotsubo accused, but he simply shook his head.

"No...I've been into Freerunning and Parkour for years. Besides, you said to run it as quickly as possible, so I did." He replied simply as the female coach walked over.

"Wow...That was pretty impressive! Where did you learn to do that?" She asked.

"On the streets of my home city, by watching other freerunners." He explained, Kotsubo not able to follow up on his accusations anymore.

"Fine...Your time stands. I guess that _was_ pretty impressive." He relented as he turned to the rest of them, the other teacher walking over to her group again to usher them through their exercises.

"Alright you maggots! See if you can top 58 seconds!" He yelled out as Isaac sat down to do some cooldown stretches.

"That was quick." Tsukune commented.

"Yeah...I just wanted to get this out of the way so I could go through my routine. Still a little upset from earlier." He replied, the other boy nodding, but neither of them were aware of the pair of snow colored eyes staring at the newest arrival with intrigue.

She had been peeping into the boy's locker room when she saw the scars, along with how defensive he was over it and how the other boys were avoiding him now. She could tell that he was somewhat like her, that he could possibly understand how she felt, lonely and isolated. Suddenly, she heard her name being called.

"Miss Shirayuki! We're ready to begin the next exercise!" The teacher called out to her, also catching the attention of the one she was look at, himself getting a good look at her, gaining a healthy appreciation for the female gym clothes here.

_'She's...pretty cute. Wait...Why was she staring at me?_' He wondered as he got back to what he was doing, going through a few katas to keep himself from getting rusty and stiff until the class was over with.

_**AFTER SCHOOL A WEEK LATER**_

School had finally let out for the day, like it had for the past week. School had been interesting for Isaac, getting caught up in his subjects. Yukari had been helping him out on that, but on the subject of relations, the witch and the conduit had been keeping to themselves, hanging out with the others only during breakfast and lunch for the time being. Isaac and Yukari had bonded pretty well, the young witch taking to the older boy like a younger sibling would to her elder, following him everywhere when not in class, but he didn't seem to mind the company.

It was now getting ready to let out for the weekend, but not before a miffed Saizou once again accosted Tsukune, trying to muscle in on not only Moka this time, but Kurumu as well.

"Not just one, but two babes...heh. Fappy little bastard, you really think you're man enough for even one?" Saizou mocked, having just kicked Tsukune in the stomach and dropping him easily.

"Bastard!" Kurumu yelled as she raked her claws across his face, drawing blood and his ire.

"Little bitch...I'll enjoy taming a Succubus and have a delicious vampire for dessert." The Orc boasted as he roughly fondled Kurumu while ignoring hers and Moka's protests.

Isaac was just coming out of the building with Yukari when they happened upon the scene, the small witchling dropping a metal tub on his head to stun him while Isaac delivered a discreetly wind-powered open palm blow to his sternum in a show of unspoken teamwork. The blow was strong enough to leave Saizou imprinted in the wall and incapacitate him, but not enough to knock him out yet as he saw who attacked him.

"Y-you...The scarred freak..." He muttered fearfully, but Isaac knocked him out before he could say more and walked over to help up Kurumu while Moka and Yukari saw to Tsukune.

"You three alright?" He asked all three of them.

"Yeah *cough* I'm fine." Tsukune answered.

"Same here. Thank you for helping us again." Moka replied.

"Yeah...That jerkoff had the nerve to feel me up. Slashing his face was the least of his worries, but nice job. You kicked his ass!" The Succubus cheered.

"Well...That was a team effort." He stated with a small grin as he gestured to the small witchling, who winked and giggled.

"You look like you're doing better now." Tsukune commented, seeing his attitude already getting better.

"Yeah...Sorry for acting like a hermit all week, man. Everything is still sinking in." He apologized to them.

"Don't worry about it. I didn't realize how sensitive you were about that." Tsukune replied, careful not to mention anything about the scars, but the girls overheard Saizou's muttering.

"What about you had Saizou so freaked out? You've only been here a week and he looked terrified of you." Kurumu inquired while Moka heard Ura, her inner self, talking to her.

_**"I knew it. He's hiding something and if that wretch Saizou was more scared of him than me, you can bet that it is something big."**_ She stated to her outer self, growing suspicious of this new person Tsukune had invited into their fold.

_"But...He can't be bad! He saved us twice and saved Yukari when he had no reason to!"_ Moka argued.

_**"...I can see that you are going to be stubborn. Fine, but watch out. He has yet to reveal what he truly is to you and he could be very dangerous."**_ Ura warned before she faded back into the Rosary.

"I...Can I trust you?" He asked them seriously.

All of this cloak and dagger crap with keeping himself under wraps was killing him already. He found these good people who would likely become close friends and he wanted them to trust him, but trust worked both ways. They all looked taken back at the question, but recovered and nodded.

"Good...Follow me then. I'll tell you. Not everything, but I'll at least tell you what I am and how I came here." He stated as they made their way to his room, but a trio of students were watching them leave with contempt...At least for the male members of the group.

_'You...Heretics! Defiling our sacred Goddesses with your filthy presence!'_ They thought as one.

_**YOUKAI MALE DORMS - ISAAC'S ROOM**_

After a 10 minute walk where they discussed the days classes with each other, they reached the dorms, headed up to the young Conduit's room. Once there, he locked the door to make sure no one would come in and stuffed towels under the door to muffle any sound. It looked suspicious, but his expression was far too grave for anything pervy or sinister. After a moment, Kurumu spoke up.

"Well, we're here. What did you want to tell us?" She asked.

"Now...I have to ask you. Have you ever heard of the Ray Sphere Incident, or the Calamity of Empire City a few years ago?" He asked.

"Yeah...My father mentioned something about it. An entire city was wiped out by some massive explosion. He said something about a strange experiment and humans gaining strange powers from it." Moka replied.

"Well, that's a good start. That incident awoke a special gene within certain people all over the world, later called the Conduit Genome. I was only 12, living with my family in Los Angeles, when I discovered my powers, the power to control wind and the atmosphere around me. At first, I was terrified of my powers, but I got over it due to curiosity and managed to master them on my own." He revealed. They couldn't believe it.

"You're...a _human_? Kurumu gasped.

"Not quite. Remember when I told Yukari that we were the same?" He asked her.

"Yeah...I do. Oh, yeah! That means you're a Boundary Being like her?" She realized.

"Yeah. That's right, but I _was_ an ordinary human at one time." He clarified.

"You learned how to control your powers all on your own? Wow..." Yukari whispered in awe. She had been hanging around him all week, but this was the first time he'd opened up.

"So that's why you lived in the Human World and know so much about it. Wasn't it scary not being human anymore? Did your family ever know?" Moka asked.

"It was pretty scary at first, since I had heard of the incident and after learning what my kind was called, a Conduit, I learned that we were blamed for what happened in Empire City. But, I had a teacher in my old school who came from there after the quarantine lifted who told us that it wasn't true." He said to them.

"What wasn't true?" Tsukune asked.

"That a Conduit tried to destroy the city and take it over. The truth was that the Conduit the government blamed was actually a hero. After the Blast, the city was quarantined and those trapped inside were cut off from the rest of the world. Gangs began to grow bold and started wreaking havoc, other Conduits appeared and began to rampage. It was like the fall of Rome. However, the man that rescued me, Cole McGrath, stood tall to fight the gangs and re-take the city, street by street and block by block. At first, he was blamed for everything, but he believed that with his powers, he needed to use them to help people, regardless of what they thought of him. Over time, they warmed up to him and eventually came to see him as a hero for driving back the gangs, protecting the innocent, and helping them re-claim their city." He stated, telling them more about Cole and his accounts of what happened there and in New Marais.

"Wow...Like a real life comic book hero." Tsukune gasped in wonder.

"He sounds like a good man. Someone to look up to." Moka agreed.

"Yeah. I admire him a lot and he was one of my inspirations for what I did next, but to understand the rest, I need to tell you about my family." He replied, pulling some old pictures out of his bag, ones that he miraculously managed to salvage from the ruins of his old home and hid in a dead drop. He was able to come back and find it later after he was rescued.

"Who are they? Your family?" Yukari asked, seeing a sad smile on his face.

"Yeah...This is my father, Enrique Rodriguez, when he was a Fire Fighter. He was on the squad for almost 30 years, and had medals for bravery. The next is my eldest brother, Michael. He was a Marine and then he became a Police Officer, where he earned a Medal of Valor. Finally, my second brother, Felix. He joined the Marines as well, wanting to make it a career. He died in combat a year before I got my powers, protecting refugees in Southern Iraq. To me, they were my heroes and when I was little, I wanted to be just like them. I began fighting crime and the gangs that ran loose all over our neighborhood and in the surrounding areas using my powers." He unveiled to them snippet of his past.

"That explains why you saved Yukari without a second thought...Courage just runs in the family." Kurumu commented with a small smile.

_'Not to mention that his elder brothers are kinda hot...'_ The Succubus giggled to herself, not being able to help her nature.

"That's not all, is there? There's more." Moka urged him gently, seeing him close up again.

"You're right...I might as well get it all out. I continued on like that for 6 months, until our area was cleared of the gangs. But one day, a guy named Clayton Diggs, some lowly street punk, discovered that he was a Conduit too, a Pyrokinetic Conduit. He used his powers to dominate the other gangs and force them to serve him as he tried to take over the city. I fought back against it alongside the police, but something bad happened." He told them but stopped to brace himself for what was coming next. Yukari could tell that this was becoming very upsetting for him, so she sidled up to him and took his hand, draining away the tension as he gave her a grateful smile.

"That psychopath started intentionally targeting police officers and killing them without mercy, trying to send a message that opposing him was hopeless. He lured my brother and his partner with a distress call from a school bus driver who called for help, that a gang had taken them hostage. When they arrived, they were ambushed, his partner killed instantly. Mike put up a huge fight, managing to hold out long enough to free the hostages and for myself to arrive to help drive them away, but by that time, he was already dying from several gunshots that penetrated his body armor. He wanted to see what I looked like before he died, so I showed him my face. He said that he was so proud of me for doing all that I had done so far and that he'd be watching over me. Then...He died, right there in my arms." Isaac managed to get out before having to stop to calm down, tears leaking from his eyes as he struggled to regain control. The small witch hugged him tightly as she seemed to have a calming effect on him, helping him master himself again.

"At first, I so was lost. I wanted to track down and kill Diggs so bad I could taste it, but killing him wouldn't bring my brother back. I went to visit his grave one night, asking him what I should do. He told me...At least I think it was him...that I should prove that I was better than him. He kept me from falling down a very dark path that night from beyond the grave. I started to chip away at his gangs and his power to get him to reveal himself again and after a month, it worked. I cornered him and forced him to fight someone who could fight back. After a 2 hour fight, we ended up on top of a tall building, where I finally beat him. He tried to run away but forgot where we were in his panic, falling to his death from over twenty stories up and getting impaled on a fence post. It wasn't the way I planned it, but I had finally avenged the death of my brother." He wound down that part of his story.

"Wow...Just...Wow..." Tsukune breathed.

He never imagined that there was so much to this new student, or the Conduits, or that his new friend was one. Moka and Kurumu were also speechless. Even Ura had little to say about this, but her suspicions about him were erased as he took a huge risk in trusting them, along with gaining her respect for his unwavering courage and dedication to his cause, something that was severely lacking in the world today. Even his family deserved her respect despite being humans, their example being his inspiration and Cole McGrath for his unyielding valor and resolve in the face of impossible odds.

On the ledge outside of his room, a girl with icy blue hair and eyes couldn't believe what she heard. This boy she was watching...had been through so much pain and suffering, yet here he was.

_'He's so much like me...Maybe...He's the one...'_ She wondered to herself as she sat and listened in more.

However, Kurumu knew that wasn't the end of his story, not by a long shot. She heard Saizou stammering about scars and Tsukune tried to steer the conversation away from it.

"There's more to this, isn't there?" Kurumu asked, but not really sure she was ready to hear the rest of the story.

"Yes...But that will have to wait...I'm still coming to terms with that." He responded, the rest understanding and letting it drop.

They all left the room shortly after that, everyone knowing that even with all they had gone through, there was always someone who had endured worse and soldiered on. The respect they felt for him rose and the loyalty they felt for one another intensified, two new people now entering their fold. For Moka, she never had many friends growing up, but since coming to Youkai, she's gained 4 good friends in the span of a month who have all stood up for her and beside her. For Kurumu, she was trying to find her destined one, but had no one she could truly call a friend. Now, she could honestly say that she did. She had people to whom she could trust her very life to. Yukari was forced to grow up so quickly. She wasn't given much time to act her age, but now that she adopted a pseudo older sibling, one who needed her just as badly, she felt that a gap in her life had been filled, gaining friends to boot. Tsukune was feeling completely isolated and alone there at Youkai, being the only human and all. But now, these girls were staunch allies, steadfast friends. With the addition of another male in the group, he felt like he could go on here at Youkai.

Finally, we come to Isaac, our young Conduit. The old life he had was long dead, but he was given the chance to create a new life, these people reaching out to him with acceptance. Moka, even though her other self was a frightening Vampire, she was easily one of the sweetest people he knew. For being a Succubus, Kurumu was actually a sweetheart instead of some sexual deviant. Yukari was a cheerful girl who had quickly worked her way into his heart. These monsters...Were better and more decent people than the ones who hated their kind. Sure, he was somewhat forced by them to spill the beans about his past, but something good came of it. Instead of re-opening old wounds, this actually helped him heal. Yes...Sometimes the best balm for the soul is disclosure.

After finishing up what homework he could understand, a quick workout, and a bath, he was ready to get some much deserved sleep. In her own room, the mystery girl lay on her bed, dissecting all that she had heard. One thing was for certain...She had made her choice. She would risk reaching out to him. By watching his routine, be would be out tomorrow, exercising by running all over campus practicing that Freerunning discipline he was so fond of, winding up back at the dorms by 0630. She would introduce herself then.

_**Youkai Academy...Heh...I never would have believed it if I hadn't lived it myself. Some of the things I've seen and heard over the past few days shattered the belief that Conduits are the only non-humans roaming the earth. However...These students that reached out to me in friendship...The Sendo's taking me in to their home. My new friends, my new family, my new life...I think I found where I belong, now. Thanks for everything, Cole. I'll never be able to thank you enough for what you've done. I'll defend them with the life you gave back to me, no matter what.**_

_**ELSEWHERE ON CAMPUS...**_

In one of the club rooms on campus, three...I guess you could call them fanboys, were cuddling and fondling cardboard likenesses of Moka, Kuruku and Yukari.

"Oh, Moka...My pink haired goddess..." One moaned, somewhat more normal looking than his other two cohorts.

"Yukari...Your tiny body is so cute..." Another crooned, this guy tall, lanky and bespectacled.

"Kurumu...Those magnificent breasts of yours are worthy of worship..." The final loon proclaimed, short and portly, but all three stopped and scowled intensely.

"But those two worms...That wimpy looking Aono kid and that crazy foreigner...How dare they interfere with our divine love?!" The tall skinny one bellowed.

"We should get rid of them! For the sake of our divine love!" The chunky one agreed.

_**"DOWN WITH THE HERETICS!"**_ They cried as one, continuing their creepy worship practices.

_**AND…SCENE!**_

_**Well…That concludes the first chapter of my newest brainchild. Now to explain a few things.**_

_**I wanted to avoid a Gary Stu as much as possible. Isaac has a few…problems stemming from being in captivity. He tends to be a little reclusive and introverted. The only reason the group got through to him was due to diligence. On top of that, he was very lonely, wanting to trust someone and he couldn't have picked better people. Yes, he opened up, but only after Tsukune and the girls wore him down. Like I mentioned before, he got tired of being lonely. Take it from me...It sucks more than you can imagine.**_

_**Also, He will be paired with a Youkai girl, no harem for him and it is NOT Moka, but judging from the slight foreshadowing earlier, you can hazard a guess as to WHO the girl is. **_

_**As my usual readers already know, if you have any questions, I would be happy to answer them to the best of my ability. CIAO!**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Hey there folks...I have the next chapter up and running. I've been fine tuning these chapters for some time now, around seven in all already written and in the process of being proofread. **_

_**TWO WEEKS LATER...**_

It's been a couple of weeks since Isaac opened up a little and revealed some of his past. He felt better afterward, especially since Tsukune and friends accepted him with open arms. Little Yukari had bonded with him extremely well, her presence further aiding him in calming down, but he let her classmates know that anyone else that tries to harm her will have him to deal with afterward, firing off a large air blast that blew out all of the windows in the classroom to assert his point. He still had his intense moments, but all in all, he'd calmed down and lightened up a fair deal to the point where he was actually approachable by someone other than his small group.

In addition to that, he'd been seeing this girl around campus since he he saw her in gym class. He didn't know who she was, but there was something about her that...captured his interest and wouldn't let go. He catch her looking directly at him, but when he tried to track her down, she'd just disappear without a trace. He couldn't even ping her using his sonar. All he knew was that he at least wanted to know her name. He thought she was...Pretty.

Just before the sun rose one morning, Isaac was already up and in the middle of his running session, scaling the side of the boy's dorm. From here, he began to practice one of his powers, something he called Airwalking. For this he solidified the air beneath his feet to give himself either more height or change trajectory and dodge in midair. For this to even work, his timing had to be just right so hence the practice. It was an immensely useful skill in combat and in getting around. He thought that by now, his powers would evolve to the point where he could fly, but for now the closest he could get to that was this, gliding like with Cole's Static Thrusters, hovering and levitation.

"There...That oughtta be enough for now..." He panted, feeling the strain from extended usage of his powers along with physical exertion as he let himself down to the ground, laying there to catch his breath for a few moments.

Using his powers this way would help increase his endurance, draining his energy, then letting his reserves recharge constantly to make them grow slightly each time. It was a slow and painstaking process, but it still helped him grow stronger. The only drawback to this training method was that it required caloric intake in massive amounts to help replace what was used, meaning he ate like cop in a donut factory after training.

From behind a building, the same girl from before poked her head out and made her presense known.

"That was quite a show..." She commented as she came into his field of vision.

_'Whoa...It's that girl from PE class...She always watches me, but I don't know why. She IS kind of cute, though...'_ He thought as he craned his neck a little further.

_'...Panty shot...Ooh, striped...'_ He added, his teenage hormones flaring up slightly as he sat upright.

"So...Who are you? I've seen you in gym class and around campus, but I never really get to talk to you." He inquired.

"Mizore...Mizore Shirayuki." She introduced herself.

"'Sup. Isaac Rodriguez." He replied in kind with a slight smile that made her face heat up for a second before she recovered.

"What were you doing just now? I've never seen anyone do what you just did before. Was it one of your ayashi abilities?" She asked. An honest enough question, he figured.

"Er...Yeah. Something like that. I need to practice constantly or I'll lose my edge. Wind is really hard to control." He replied. She only knew about his wind powers, but not his water ones...As far as he knew.

"To control wind and water like you do...You must be some kind of elemental ayashi." She surmised.

_'Shit...She's not only sharp, but she's been watching me practice. But if she really wanted to do something to me, she would have by now.'_ He reasoned, not seeing a threat at the moment. She honestly just wanted someone's company, as far as he could tell.

"In a sense, yeah. How about you?" He asked. She blushed slightly as she morphed her hands into claws of crystalline ice and shot a large shard at a nearby tree with unerring accuracy.

"That...Was pretty cool, no pun intended. I know someone else that can do something like it, with ice I mean." He stated, her face perking up.

"You know another Snow Maiden?" She asked, her interest piqued.

"Another...Wait, that's what you are, then?" He replied with a question of his own, earning a slight nod.

"To answer you, no, I don't know any other than you now. The person I was talking about was a good friend of mine and my mentor, Cole. He gained his from someone else, but he's pretty good with them. Can't count how many times I wound up as a popcicle because he caught me off guard." He shuddered, remembering all of the training sessions he clocked with the older, more experienced Conduit, making her giggle quietly, almost too quietly to hear.

He took a good, long look at her up close for the first time.

_'Even though she doesn't show much in the way of emotions, she's really cute when she smiles. Her eyes...They're a beautiful icy blue, but I see myself a couple of years ago in them. She's lost, lonely and wants friends. Maybe I can get her to meet Tsukune and the others...She needs it just as badly as I did.'_ He reasoned with himself.

"Say...I was going to shower up and get some breakfast. You want to join me?" He asked, extending an invitation.

"Sure." She replied, but on the inside, her heart was pounding against her ribcage and she was in a very good mood.

Her gamble was paying off, the object of her current affections opening himself to her. Now all she had to do was keep what she knew to herself, acting on it to avoid upsetting him or driving him away. After getting the meeting time and place, she walked back to her room in a slight daze. She never imagined that this would go so well, but she'd be damned if she didn't capitalize on it. But right when she was riding high, she was reminded of something rather unpleasant.

_'Kotsubo...That jerk was only toying with me, but...I don't think Isaac will. He's nice and he's...like me.'_ She rationalized as she sped through the motions of getting ready for her big first date _**(To her, anyway...)**_.

Up in his dorm, he was careful to watch out for anyone else using the showers, but it was unlikely that anyone else was insane enough to wake up this early on a Saturday. While showering, he thought back to how he and Mizore seemed to hit it off. She seemed nice enough, even if her stalker-ish way of reaching out to him was a tad unsettling. He never was the type to attract girls, at least when he was still a normal kid. The girl he had a crush on when he was still going to school thought he was a total freak because of his hobbies and had no problems letting him know that in front of the whole school. That kind of thing can really do some damage so a kid's self-esteem. But now, he noticed that a few girls in his homeroom looking at him with interest and this girl literally came out of the woodwork.

_'I wonder if that sounded like a date to her...Bah...I'll think about that after I stop smelling like Zeke's laundry.'_ He thought as he finished washing up, got dressed, and headed down to meet his new friend.

The pair met up at the cafeteria, which was open for breakfast on the weekends and sat down to chat. Things were going well until she suddenly clammed up. She was dead quiet and he could tell that something was bothering her. He chanced following her line of sight to see the PE coach, Kotsubo, staring right at her with a withering glare. He caught Isaac looking at him strangely and briskly walked away, raising some serious concerns.

"Say, um...What do you think about the teachers here? I like Miss Nekonome the best so far." He stated, trying to get her talking again and hopefully drag out what was up between her and Kotsubo to warrant a glare like the one he sent her way.

"I don't really like any teachers." She replied quickly, going silent, getting up and walking away quickly.

_'Dammit...Real smooth, jackass...We were getting along fine until Kotsubo came along. Something's definitely wrong here. I need to find out what the hell is going on.' _He thought to himself as anonther voice spoke up.

"Oh my...Was that Miss Shirayuki?" Miss Nekonome asked him.

"Yeah...I met her earlier this morning. I was trying to ask her what was wrong when she got upset and walked off." He answered her, the cat-girl teacher sighing.

"I wish she would talk to me, but she refuses to even come to homeroom." She replied.

"You mean...She's in _our_ Homeroom?" He asked her.

"Yes...But right after the start of the school year, she stopped coming all of the sudden. I've been very concerned about her." Nekonome confessed, but turned to him.

"She doesn't have any friends and she's always alone, but you are the first person I've seen her even slightly open up to. Maybe you can find out what's going on." She asked of him.

"Yeah...I intend to." He answered her, looking in the direction she left in as Yukari bounced in, followed by Tsukune and the others. He decided to let the subject drop, intending on handling it himself as they began to talk amongst themselves.

_**2 WEEKS LATER...**_

Two full weeks had passed since the small incident in the cafeteria, but other problems cropped up. As things turned out, Yukari, Moka, and Kurumu had some strange cult-like worshippers following them everywhere for the past week. No matter where they were, they were right there. One of them even peeked into Kurumu's window until she caught him and scared him away. Their obsessive stalking was now becoming a big problem as they were becoming slightly paranoid, the guys trying to rectify the situation.

"Tsukune, we need to find these creeps, fast. The girls are wearing down and can't take much more. Yukari's getting paranoid and won't leave my side now." Isaac told Tsukune during Gym Class.

"I know...Moka's been losing sleep over it, Kurumu too." Tsukune agreed, the two of them agreeing to meet up after school to hammer out a plan.

Tsukune was on day duty, emptying the trash into the incinerator, when two other people came strutting up behind him, shoving him to the ground.

"Tsukune Aono...You have some nerve..." One of the growled while the other took over.

"You've been hogging our sacred goddesses to yourself for too long, Aono!" He cried dramatically.

"Uhh...What? Who are you guys, anyway?" He asked, not even knowing who they were or _why_ they had such a beef with him.

"I am President of the Moka Akashiya Fan Club, Kozo Kasahara!" Kozo proclaimed.

"And I am President of the Kurumu Kurono Fan Club, Bosaburo Taira!" Chunky added.

"And now, you will feel our divine wrath!" They exclaimed as one, bearing down on him with their...Paper fans.

_'What the hell?!'_ Tsukune thought, just taking it and not even retaliating.

"This guy's a total pansy! What trickery did he use to get close to our goddesses?" Kozo asked to himself. They _beat_ him a little more until Moka and Kurumu appeared to chase them away.

"Tsukune...Are you alright?" Moka asked as she and Kurumu helped him to his feet, but he was feeling depressed.

_'I needed to be saved by the girls again...Why can't I be strong like Isaac? I can bet that even if he didn't have those powers, he still would have beat those two jerks within an inch of their lives.'_ Tsukune wondered, until a scream rang out from the roof behind them, another student wearing the same pink jacket as the other two crash landing next to them.

_**A FEW MINUTES EARLIER...**_

Isaac was currently on the roof, pondering what to do about Mizore. He hadn't seen her since that Saturday and he was getting worried about her. Yukari followed him up there, knowing that something was weighing heavily on his mind and she wanted to know what it was so she could help in any way she could, but she was followed. This person that followed her also made sure to get plenty of low angle shots with his digital camera as he followed her up the stairs. Once she clung to Isaac's arm, he made his presence known.

"You! Stand away from my beloved Goddess!" He ordered the Conduit in what he deemed an authoritative and manly voice.

"What the hell? Who the hell are you?" Isaac inquired, his eyes narrowing.

_'Crap in a hat...Who the hell is this douche? I was trying to think of a way to help Mizore when he interrupted me!' _He thought as the loser introduced himself.

"I am Kubasaki Nagai, the valiant leader of the Yukari Sendo Fan Club, and I am here to free my beloved from your wicked grasp!" He declared as Yukari tugged on Isaac's arm, getting him to crouch down.

"This is the guy that's been stalking me!" She whispered into his ear, his annoyance now turning to burning anger, his displeasure from before having multiplied exponentially.

"She is only 11 years old, you sick _fuck_. What the hell is the matter with you?!" He demanded, his aura becoming dominating as he began to flex his powers slightly. He'd gotten better about not holding back since that talk with Inner Moka, and this guy would be the first to face his wrath.

"S-she is my divine Goddess! You will not defile her with..." Nagai ranted until he was slugged in the gut by what felt like a battering ram, falling to the ground and gasping for air.

_'I didn't even see him move! What is he?!'_ Creepo _**(Kubasaki)**_ thought as a ball of wind gathered in Isaac's hand, aimed right at him.

"Let me make one thing perfectly clear...You will_ not_ come near her or the other girls ever...EVER again..." He snarled, the ball breaking into multiple bullets and fired into the ground around him like a machine gun, leaving holes in the concrete surface.

"Or next time you won't get a warning shot." He warned, gathering Yukari into his arms as they prepared to take the express elevator down, but Nagai wasn't ready to give up yet.

"DIVINE WRATH!" Creepo screamed as he charged at him from behind, but Isaac merely shifted out of the way, letting him careen over the edge and fall three stories down to the ground in a heap, the conduit leaping down behind him next to the rest of their friends.

"Your handiwork, I take it?" Kurumu inquired, poking the unconscious pervert with a stick.

"Yep...He's the sick pervert that's been stalking Yukari." He replied, Moka picking up the digital camera he dropped and rifled through it on a hunch, her normally kind visage turning into rage.

"What was on that thing, anyway?" Isaac asked, Moka showing the rest of them the panty shots he took of Yukari. All of them had varying degrees of anger play about on their faces as the pervert slowly stirred, his moaning attracting their attention.

"You...SICK FREAK!" Isaac bellowed as he snagged the camera, placed it on one of Nagai's hands, and then stomped down with crushing force, breaking both said hand and camera in one go.

"My threat stands, you sick piece of crap, and make sure you tell your little friends...Come near her or the others again, and I won't be so nice next time." He snarled as he spun on his heel.

"C'mon...Let's get out of here." He said to the others, leaving the pervert to writhe in agony.

_'What the hell is wrong with the guys at this school! It's the third incident I've had to deal with in the past two weeks!'_ He mentally railed as they went about their business for the day.

"You...Bastard...We'll make you...Pay for this..." Nagai swore as his fellows found him and took him to the school nurse to get patched up.

_**BOY'S DORMS...**_

Right after showering and laying down listening to his MP3 Player, Isaac heard a knock at his door.

"Coming..." He groaned, not wanting to get back up after getting comfortable. He opened the door to see Tsukune standing there, a hang dog look on his face.

"What's up?" He asked, bringing his new friend inside.

"Well...It's just that the girls had to protect me again today. I'm supposed to be the one protecting them." The brown haired boy admitted.

"The answers is pretty obvious...Learn to fight. I can teach you how to defend yourself. All you had to do was ask me." Isaac informed him as he yawned loudly.

"Y-you can?" Tsukune asked hopefully.

"That's what I said, isn't it? Meet me down in the quad at five tomorrow morning and we'll get started. Come ready to train." He instructed as he booted Tsukune out of his room so he could sleep.

_Finally...I'll get those Karate lessons dad was too cheap to let me take, insisting he could train me. Honestly...What the hell is Kill U Fu, anyway? Probably just some crap he made up. No wonder mom was looking at him weird when he said he knew how to fight...'_ Tsukune blanched, remembering the embarrassing _lessons_ his dad tried to teach him because he was a bit of a cheapskate, also explaining how he wound up at Youkai in the first place.

_**ONE WEEK LATER...**_

Another week had passed for the young Conduit at Youkai Academy. This time, he was busy training Tsukune in the mornings and after dinner at times, teaching him basic Karate along with down and dirty street fighting for defense. He started off by having Tsukune do special stretches before and after training and encouraged him to do them whenever he had the time, to build up flexibility. He also showed him the basics of fighting, how to attack without hurting yourself while doing the most damage possible, along with basic grappling, pressure points, and finally, the failsafe...The Nut Shot. All in all, Tsukune proved to be an apt pupil, soaking up everything he was taught with gusto. He was far from any sort of mastery, but he would be able to at least put up a fight next time, maybe even get in a lucky hit.

He was feeling more confident in at least dealing with human forms as he sat in his room, composing another letter to his mother back home in Yokohama.

_Dear mom and Kyoko,_

_ It's been over two months since I came to Youkai Academy and it's been a real whirlwind experience from day one. Like I said in my previous letters, I found some great friends recently, but I just gained two more. One is a girl name Yukari Sendo. She's only 11 years old, but she's already in high school, a real genius! She always first in the class rankings, but helped the rest of us study. The other is an American that came to our school, Isaac Rodriguez. He's kinda tall at 5' 10", like someone would expect of an American, but he's quiet. The only other person he's really talked to besides me is Yukari, but the most we really know about him is that he's an orphan, his family having died in a huge explosion that happened a few years ago, leaving him the sole survivor. He's also teaching me to defend myself and having me work out with him, so he's a pretty good guy. All in all, I'm having a good time here and don't worry... I'm eating right, especially since Isaac is kind of a health food junkie and he's having me follow his diet while he's teaching me. It's not all that bad, lots of fiber, protein, fruits and yogurts. Expect your son to come back with more muscle! I need to wrap this letter up if I'm going to mail it off in time, so I'll write again soon!_

_Love,_

_Tsukune_

"There...That should do it. Now to mail these off..." He muttered to himself as he slipped the final letter into his bag headed out to the bus stop to hand them off to the driver, who said that he could deliver them for him.

As he made his way across campus, Moka saw him head toward the bus stop with his bag in his hands from the top of one of the buildings. She immediately thought back to how depressed he was over how she and Kurumu had to protect him from those fan club freaks and became scared.

'_Oh no...Is he leaving? Why?!'_ She thought as she began to go after him, Ura speaking to her.

_**"That idiot...Is it that important to him that he protects us? He's only a human, the thought of him protecting a vampire is laughable, noble but laughable."**_

_'Ura! Come on...This isn't the time! We need to find Tsukune and talk some sense into him!'_

_**"I suppose so...One can't have their food walking away on them."**_

Moka suppressed the urge to sigh as she increased her tempo to try and intercept him before he got there, Kurumu joining her along the way, but her strategy was a little different.

"I guess I'll just have to follow him home then. I can meet my future in laws that way!" She chirped merrily, Moka balking at the mere thought, but it wasn't the time to argue, Isaac and Yukari joining in along the way. He and Yukari tried to talk some sense into the two of them, but it went largely ignored.

"May as well follow them..." He sighed as the witchling followed his lead.

At the bus stop, Tsukune checked his watch.

"4:44...Bus should be here any minute now. I wonder what Moka and Kurumu wanted to talk about?" He asked himself aloud, but a trio of voices cut him off.

"How dare you address the beauteous Moka and Kurumu so brazenly, you heathen!" Kozo accused, Tsukune sighing in equal parts exasperation and disgust as he turned to face the fan boys once again.

The ghastly trio had learned a bitter lesson the last time when they tried to divide and conquer, Nagai's hand and wrist being ruthlessly crushed by Isaac. Now, they decided to go after them one at a time, starting with who they deemed the weakest, Tsukune, and dispose of them.

"What do you creepy stalkers want?" He asked, annoyed by their presence and his patience with them already running thin.

"You have been hogging all of the love of our goddesses! They were supposed to love us eventually!" Bosaburo shouted.

"Eventually?! What are you even saying?!" Tsukune replied, failing to understand their crazy ranting.

"No more talking! DIVINE...!" Kozo yelled out, but Tsukune delivered a solid punch to his stomach, then another to his chin to drop him just as Isaac instructed him.

_'Whoa...This stuff really works! I can do this...'_ The timid boy thought as his confidence rose a few notches, while the other two fanboys were stunned.

"Wha...But he was a total weakling a week ago! Where did he learn to fight?!" Nagai whined, but Bosaburo helped up his fellow stalker, the three of them now getting serious.

"Heh...Since we're not of school grounds right now, we don't have to stay in our human forms anymore..." He smirked, the three of them transforming, Bosaburo into some form of blob ayashi, Nagai's neck extending, and Kozo turning into some weird umbrella ayashi.

"What the...What are you supposed to be, anyway?" Tsukune asked, more amused than scared. After having two run ins with Saizou, he'd seen scarier clowns than these guys.

"What? Aw, dammit!" Kozo whined.

"You think we're dorky looking ayashi, too?!" Nagai added.

"All the chicks here always go for the badass ayashi and we're always left with nothing! Then you and the stupid foreigner come along and take away our goddesses without even trying! I really hate you guys!" Bosaburo lamented as they all came at him at once.

Tsukune managed to dodge the first two attacks, countering by belting Nagai's extended head with a sturdy right cross that had him seeing stars for a few moments, but Chunky managed to capture him with his blobby body, holding him in place so the others could get some hits in.

"Now it's time to get rid of you, Aono! That American pig is next since I still owe him one for my camera and my hand!" Nagai sneered, but a swift blow to his head caused him to back off, the blur of movement also snatching Tsukune from Bosaburo.

"Kurumu! Thanks for the save!" Tsukune thanked her, the succubus bringing him back down to the ground gently.

"Anytime, Tsukune! We saw part of the fight from a distance, you're getting manly on us and I kinda like it!" Kurumu purred, rubbing herself against him while Moka ran up and tore him away.

"Knock it off, Kurumu! He's mine!" She yelled, but Kurumu started yanking on his other sleeve.

"Back off, princess! He's my destined one!" The succubus fired right back as Isaac and Yukari entered the scene.

"Looks like you used what I taught you...Good job, Tsukune." Isaac congradulated while Yukari tried to separate the two fighting girls as the three fanboys watched in despair.

"We just got totally ignored, man..." Kozo complained, the others agreeing.

"C'mon...This is no time to be fighting!" The tiny witchling tried to intervene, but Nagai saw her and got tunnel vision.

"Oh Yukari...My little budding blossom..." He wheezed perversely as he tried to entangle her with his long neck, but he failed to register Isaac standing right next to her, who grabbed his neck and wrapped it around a nearby tree in a triple knot.

"I'll deal with you in a minute, so don't go anywhere." He muttered coldly as he prepared to help deal with the other two.

Kozo and Bosaburo saw Nagai get taken out, so they decided it was time to attack.

"Oh Moka...Allow me to be your umbrella of love!" Kozo ranted as he began to spin his umbrella like top, kicking up a large blast of wind but Isaac deflected it with a bored expression.

"Looks like you three failed to listen to my warning..." He muttered as he powered up slightly to use a piercing wind shot to shoot Kozo in the legs, making him revert while Kurumu managed to fend off Bosaburo with her wings, claws and a hell of a drop kick, the trio going down easily.

"C-come on...Let's use the Amalgam attack!" Bosaburo tried to call out, but two of his fellows were incapacitated and it took all three of them to make it work.

"I don't think your friends will be able to help you, Chunky..." Kurumu smirked, Isaac backing her up.

"Damn right they won't. I believe I told you asswipes to leave us alone, but you just don't get it...Perverts like you _never_ do. But...Luckily, I have a solution. Wouldn't you like to know what that is, Chunky? Of course you would! But it would be selfish to enjoy this all by yourself, so let's bring your friends over to share..." Isaac questioned, his persona becoming cruel and sadistic.

Perverts of their type were one of his worst pet peeves, taking extra offense to Nagai's disgusting sexual worship of a young girl. He quickly knocked the bulbous boy down and made him transform back, dragging his other two buddies along side him to share in the experience. He then manipulated the atmosphere around the three of them, yanking away the oxygen and making them suffocate slowly.

"Now...Tell me what I want to hear and you'd better mean it. Will you leave them alone, now and forever?" He pressed them, his face now a mask of stone. The three began gasping for air, pleading with him to let them breathe again.

"H-hey...I think they've had enough..." Moka tried to intervene, but he shook his head.

"People like them will never learn their lesson if you go easy. I've had to deal with their type before, so I learned that the hard way." He replied, his eyes hardening as he let them have air for a moment.

"What's your answer...Remember that your lives are at stake here. No do-overs." He reminded them, waiting for their answer.

"W-we...give...up..." Bosaburo wheezed.

"I'll never bother Yukari again, so don't kill us..." Nagai sobbed pitifully.

"I don't wanna die..." Kozo added, all three of them groveling at their feet.

"Good. You'd better be telling me the truth, or you'll get to find out if Hell is real first hand. Now piss off." He barked at them, all three of them shambling away.

"What came over you? I admit they needed punishment, but that..." Yukari said to him in disbelief, to which he knelt down and looked her in the eye.

"Because...I once let a pervert off the hook and he began to molest again, only that time he escalated to rape and murder. I don't want to see that happen here to you girls or anyone else." He answered them, his harsh treatment making sense.

"That's understandable, but you wouldn't have killed them...Would you?" Tsukune asked, but the look on Isaac's face scared him slightly.

"If they proved to be too much of a threat...Yes. I don't like to kill...I hate it, but to prevent them from going that far and others suffering because of my poor judgment...I'll do it." Isaac replied, steel lining his voice

It was now clear that he had blood on his hands, something that obviously weighed heavily on his shoulders but he was willing to bear the burden if others would be spared. He was also suffering from mental trauma from having to make that difficult choice, another reason why Cole wanted him to attend Youkai, to heal his fragmented and damaged psyche.

_**"He speaks the truth. Some enemies will not give up simply due to a few words. Others require more drastic measures...Something he understands all too well."**_ Inner Moka told her other self, who nodded sadly while Yukari took Isaac's hand for some comfort while Kurumu and Moka addressed Tsukune and supposed attempted flight from Youkai.

"Don't leave me, Tsukune! Stay here with me!" Moka pleaded.

"Don't go anywhere...Lemme pack my stuff and I can come live with my future in-laws!" Kurumu said quickly as she was about to make a mad dash back to her room to do just that when Tsuknue spoke up.

"What are you talking about? I'm just mailing off some letters to my parents." He replied, completely in the dark as to what they were talking about. Both girls were completely gob smacked and more than a little embarrassed that they _completely_ misread the situation as he gave the creepy bus driver his letters to mail off.

"So this was all because Moka jumped to conclusions again?" Yukari deadpanned.

"Yep." Isaac mirrored her expression as Moka clamped down on Tsukune's neck for a quick snack, but it was anything but quick.

"H-hey! Leggo of my Tsukune!" Kurumu yelled as she pried Moka off of him.

"Mmm...Tastes fruity..." She mewled, finding his flavor delightful.

_**"I agree...His blood was flavorful before, but now it has a tartness to it that is quite enjoyable. I need to thank that Yankee for not only teaching him to stand up for himself, but also for that diet of his."**_ Inner Moka spoke to her counterpart.

"Great...Now I'm a Vampire's equivalent to fruit punch..." Tsukune whined as the got moving back to campus.

Unbeknownst to them, Mikogami had been watching the entire thing. While he was slightly worried that he would bear witness to a gruesome execution, he was glad those three perverts had had enough and Isaac maintained enough control of himself to release them with a final warning.

From a hidden spot nearby, a blond man and a female student had seen the entire thing, smirking about what Isaac had done to make those three comply.

"He can be just as ruthless as us...I want him." The man stated.

"What if he doesn't want to join, Kuyou?" His female companion asked.

"If I can't have him...No one else will, my dear Keito." Kuyou chuckled cruelly as they left the area.

_**THE NEXT DAY...**_

The next day came and saw them in class once again. They chatted about this and that until Miss Nekonome popped into the classroom to start class.

"Hey kids! I have an announcement to make, so listen up!" She chimed cheerfully.

"There a few construction delays, but there is now a phone that connects to the human world next to the student store!" He informed them.

"WHAT?! I COULD HAVE AVOIDED ALL OF THAT CRAP YESTERDAY IF I WAITED!" Tsukune burst out in class, making everyone look at him funny.

"Eh...Sorry." He apologized, somewhat diffusing the situation as Nekonome continued.

"Also, due to overwhelming demand, the bus that comes once a month will now come once a day!" She finished.

"Cool...Maybe I'll give Cole and Zeke a ring...See how the search is going." Isaac mused aloud as class got started for the day.

_'Damn...One crazy incident after another...I'm beginning to wonder if I'm jinxed or something. Wait, if I am, maybe Yukari can ...un-jinx me or something. Ahh, whatever...This is only going to make my head hurt...'_ Isaac mentally remarked as he focused on his lessons as he let his mind unwind after this whole debacle with the pervert trio...But things are rarely that easy around Youkai.

An hour into class, Miss Nekonome's class had a visitor of the nasty sort. They were all dressed in an all black version of the school uniform with a special armband, it's meaning striking a certain amount of fear into those who were unfortunate enough to know.

"The Public Security Commitee...What do you want here?" Miss Nekonome asked uneasily, very wary of the PSC.

"We have come at the request of Lord Kuyou to retrieve Isaac Rodriguez for questioning." The lead student stated, almost demanded.

"And what has he done?" Nekonome asked with defiance in her tone.

"That is none of your concern. He will come with us willingly or force will be used." He replied, advancing on the teacher with his arm transformed until Isaac stood up.

"Back off! Leave her alone and I'll come with you." He barked, the male student turning to him with a look of disdain as he looked him up and down with a dismissing snort.

"...Follow me." The PSC Enforcer drawled, leading the way.

"Be careful..." Nekonome whispered to him as he walked by.

"Yeah..." He replied as he was led down the hallways by the pair of Enforcers.

They walked on down the hallways for a few moments until, one of them took a sudden swing at the back of his head, which Isaac ducked and spun away from just in time.

"What the hell?!" He growled, but they only continued their attack.

Acting quickly, he grabbed the attacking arm of one attacker, twisted it until it broke, swung him around until his face impacted the wall and kicking the back of his head for good measure before taking the other attacker apart, ending the carnage by smashing his face into the floor and stomping on it to finish him off.

"Pendejo..." He muttered as he walked back to class, but the sound of someone clapping halted him.

"What the hell do you want?" Isaac asked without turning.

"That was very impressive, _American_...Or should you be called a Conduit?" The voice drawled, dripping with sick amusement as Isaac turned around.

"I won't say it again...What the hell do you want?" Isaac repeated, turning to face Kuyou.

"I am Kuyou and I am the leader of the Public Security Commitee." Kuyou answered.

"I asked _what_ you want...Not who, puto." He growled, getting irritated. This person was starting to remind him of someone he hated with every fiber of his being, the one responsible for his physical deformity.

"This was only a test to see if you truly had what it took to join my group of elite enforcers and I am happy to say that you have passed with flying colors. You didn't even let them transform, but I doubt it would have made much of a difference. That said, I would like you to join..." Kuyou dragged on, but Isaac had already heard enough and seen enough.

"No. I saw what one of your enforcer bastards was about to do to Miss Nekonome. I want no part of it, now piss off." Isaac spat as he turned to walk away.

"I don't recall giving you a choice." Kuyou sneered.

"Like I give a damn." Isaac retorted turning the corner back to his classroom, leaving Kuyou alone with his thoughts.

_'He has a strong will as well as a strong body. I will leave him be for now...But I will have him in my enforcer corps one way or another...'_ The PSC Leader thought darkly as he slunk back to his office.

_**...AND SCENE!**_

_** A/N:**_ _**That about does it for this chapter. The Icy Beauty Mizore and the dastardly Kuyou have made their appearances now. I hope that Isaac's reaction to the pervert trio didn't wierd you out. Remember, he might be lightening up, he still has some lingering instability from his year in captivity under extreme torture. Those three simply brought out the lurking anger and rage that is roiling just below the surface. He restrained himself from attacking Kuyou due to the fact that Kuyou hadn't attacked him or threatened his friends...yet, but for threatening his favorite teacher, those two PSC goons got a severe beating.**_

_** Also...I will start including info on various Conduits, such as their strengths, weaknesses, and basic stats. The numbers are from 1 to 10. An average human would be a 3 or 4, but many conduits are known to possess above average physical strength. They will be graded on five basic stats, Strength, Speed and reflexes, Agility and movement ability, endurence and resistance to physical damage, and the potentcy of their powers.**_

_**First, we start out with the man Himself, Cole : **_

_**Cole McGrath - 29**_

_**STR - 8**_

_**DEF - 7**_

_**SPD - 6**_

_**AGI - 7**_

_**PWR - 9**_

_**Former bike courier from Empire City. Was at the center of the Ray Sphere blast. Also known as the Demon/Hero of Empire City as well as the Patron Saint of New Marais.**_

_**Electrokinesis, Cryokinesis and associated abilities. Has enormous amounts of physical strength, resiliance and reflexes, as well as highly skilled in Parkour as well as a decently skilled street fighter. An extremely versatile combatant at all ranges.**_

_**Known to joke around despite his stern appearance. Also a capable leader. Broods occasionally over the death of his fiancee, Trish Dailey. **_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Hey guys, JAYSEN here with another chapter for you. I hope that you all enjoy yourselves in this small world that I have crafted for you. Please...Grab your favorite drink/snack, kick back and relax. **_

_**INSIDE NEKONOME'S HOMEROOM CLASS...**_

_** It's been a few months since I got to Youkai and things don't seem too bad. Sure...I've gotten into a few scraps here and there, but nothing too dangerous. I also managed to make a few friends in the process, also meeting the daughter of my host family. To recap, Yukari is a little ball of energy, but she's damn smart, makes me feel stupid at times without meaning anything by it. Maybe that's the curse of being a child prodigy. I was surprized as hell when she wanted me to be her big brother, but I just couldn't say no to her, not with her giving me those puppy dog eyes. Besides, she's a good kid and her family had done me a huge service, so it was the least I could.**_

_** Anyway, Tsukune Aono is my only male friend here at Toukai and he seems to be the most normal guy I've ever known. I also suspect...No, I know he's human. If he were a monster, he would have transformed to help protect the girls by now. Moka probably knows as well, and she's helping him hide it. That's probably a good thing, since they would most likely kill him on the spot if they found out. He never told me, but that's probably because he thinks that I loathe humans with a passion for robbing me of my family amongst other things. The truth is that I don't. I only hate the DUP and Moya for everything she's done to me, my family, and my kind. Tsukune hasn't done anything to me and he even helped me hide my scars from the girls, which I'm pretty thankful for and I couldn't ask for a better friend.**_

_** Moka...What can I say? She's a real sweetheart and Tsukune's a lucky guy. Someone like her doesn't come along too often, I'd bet. I have cooking class with her and Kurumu, since shop class didn't appeal to me. I mean, my life up until everything changed was one big shop class, always helping dad build or fix something. Then, I was always helping Zeke build something or other back in New Marais. Anyway, the other girls looked at me funny for it, but she and Kurumu backed me up and told them that it shouldn't be too wierd for a boy to learn to cook for himself. Like I said, a real peach. However, her other side, her vampiric side, is something to watch out for. Inner Moka can be like Chucky, Leatherface, and Freddy Kreuger all rolled up into one deceiving hot package. The fact that they share the same body is really hard to wrap my mind around, but I'm just glad I'm in her good graces. She'd probably kick my ass around without breaking a sweat.**_

_** We also have Kurumu. Being a Succubus, she's pretty open with her emotions and what she's feeling. That usually spells embarrassment for Tsukune when she glomps him...Lucky. Moving on, even taking her nature into account, she is still one of the nicest people I have ever met and a good friend. She's also a hell of a cook, but her strength lies in baking so I usually try to get paired with her when we bake something, since I usually screw it up on my own. During those times, we would chat about different things, for instance she once asked me what my native dishes were and when my birthday was. I told her about Mexican cuisine and it's kind of simple. She had this smile on her face that could light up a city, so I don't think my birthday's going to suck this time around...But the last one I had, Zeke took me to some Cabaret without Cole knowing...Until afterward. Talk about heaven to hell in a heartbeat. That reminds me...It's coming soon. I need to ask them for that cook book I left with them.**_

_** That just leaves me. I'm settling in really well here, made some friends as stated before. My room is actually more like a single bedroom apartment, pretty posh compared to some of the digs we were stuck in before. I usually clean my room every Sunday, like I used to when I still lived with my family and I even have some Mariachi saved on my MP3 player that I listen to while cleaning. I remember when my mom and grandma put on the Mariachi, it was time to grab a broom. However, some of my neighbors keep asking me what that weird music is and I'm tempted to give them the swirly from hell for calling my cultural music weird.**_

_** Getting away from that, I've been seeing this mysterious girl around campus, Mizore Shirayuki. I don't know what it is, but she just...captivates me. Ever since she left me at the table following that small incident with Kotsubo, I just can't stop thinking about her. Is she in some kind of trouble? Is it something I could help with? I wish I knew something...Anything...**_

"...guez...Mr. Rodriguez? Hello? Are you there, meow?" Nekonome called out to the spaced out Conduit.

"Huh? _Oh crap..._Sorry about that, Miss Nekonome." He apologized quickly, but Shizuka had studied his emotions enough to tell that there was something amiss.

"Are you feeling alright? This isn't like you." She stated.

"Oh no...I'm fine. I just had something on my mind, that's all." He waved her off, the teacher giving a concerned frown but resumed teaching.

_** '**__Damn...I wish I knew what the hell was going on here...'_ He thought, continuing this for the duration of first period until Nekonome got their attention one more time.

"Okay kids...Today, you'll all join a club!" She announced. THAT got his attention.

"Whoa, wait...What?" He stammered.

"That's right! In order to better assimilate to the human world you will be living in, you will join a club that will acclimate you to their interests, helping you blend in!" She stated in her usual perky tone until a student in the front row pointed out that her tail was showing.

"Huh? MEOW!" She shrieked, the student getting a face full of claws as they were dismissed for the remainder of the day to chose and join a club.

"He he...Never gets old..." Isaac chuckled at Nekonome as he stood up, joining Yukari in finding a club that might fit them while the other girls dragged Tsukune away to find one for themselves, promising to meet up again later.

_**CAMPUS GROUNDS...**_

"It's like a damn zoo out here..." Isaac commented.

"Yeah...We should try to be in a club together!" Yukari suggested, yanking on his arm and dragging him along with her to check out the Witchcraft Club.

"That's nice and all, but aren't you already a witch?" Isaac pointed out, the girl chuckling uneasily.

"Er...Yeah...You have a point..." She relented, but asked him a question.

"Then what kind of club would you want to join?"

"Well...Too bad they don't have a Parkour or Freerunning club, or even a general Martial Arts Club. Those would have been worth a look..." He commented as they passed by the Acupuncture Club's booth, the club's leader looking like Pinhead from Hellrasier.

_'I hated it when Felix made me watch it with him...'_ He shuddered as they moved along to see Tsukune being dragged along with the Swimming Club.

"Ooh! Hey, can you teach me to swim?" Yukari asked suddenly upon seeing them headed for the pool.

"Sure. I guess I'm meeting you at the pool?"

"Yep!" The witch giggled as she sped for the locker room while Isaac followed Tsukune in, seeing something wrong with Moka.

"Hey man, what's up with Moka? She looks pissed." Isaac whispered to him.

"I don't know. She got upset when I mentioned the pool." Tsukune replied as they changed, Isaac of course covering up his scars with a black shirt, and headed out, the President of the Swimming Club noticing the new arrival.

_'Ooh...This one's got a similar scent, but he's easy on the eyes, too. Too bad he'll just wind up as an entree...Such a waste...'_ Tamao Ichinose, the Swimming Club's leader, thought to herself with a mental shrug as she walked up to them.

"Why Aono...Where were you hiding him?" She asked huskily as she regarded the Conduit.

"Do you need private lessons, boys? I'll glad to give each of you...hands on attention." She offered in a sultry voice.

"S-sure!" Tsukune agreed without a second thought, but Isaac declined.

"Sorry. I'm already a pretty good swimmer." He replied simply, waiting for Yukari while completely ignoring Tamao, who was more than a little miffed at being dismissed.

_'...Ergh...He's the first to get chomped...'_ She growled to herself as she took Tsukune aside, Yukari pelting out of the locker room and into the pool.

"I thought you needed me to teach you?" Isaac inquired with a raised eyebrow.

"Sorry about that! I just wanted you to go swimming with me." She admitted openly, making him sigh.

"Fine, fine...All you needed to do was ask." He informed the witch, who giggled to herself again as she began to play in the water with him.

A few minutes later, though, Isaac spied Moka and Tsukune arguing out of his perhipheral vision. Tamao said something to her that upset her even further, splashed water on her, then she left in a huff but looked hurt, her body sparking slightly.

_'What's up with this? They never fight. What the hell is going on?'_ He asked himself as he pulled Yukari aside.

_"Hey...I'm going to see what's up with Moka. You look into Tsukune alright?"_ He asked of her, the witchling nodding.

_"Got it!"_ She saluted as Kurumu mashed Tsukune's face into her breasts again, Isaac getting out of the pool and back into his uniform to find Moka.

_**BACKSIDE OF THE POOLHOUSE**_

Moka stumbled around the side of the pool, but finally sank to her knees behind the poolhouse, her body sparking angrily at her while she bit back a scream of pain.

_**"You idiot! You went and got us splashed with water! You know that's our biggest weakness! You also should have known better than to let that human string you along!" **_Inner Moka admonished as Moka was beginning to cry.

"Tsukune...You jerk..." She sniffled as she saw someone else come along.

"Shit...Are you okay, Moka?" Isaac asked her, seeing the sparks.

"Y-yeah..." She stammered slightly, explaining why she was in so much pain, even though he already knew. He's done a bit of studying on the monster types of his friends a couple months ago and discovered that Vampires were weak against water, just like Cole. He wanted to keep his water powers a secret from her, so she wouldn't be afraid of him.

_'I have no choice but to reveal my other powers now. I just hope both she and her Inner understand...'_ He mentally prepared himself.

"Moka...Hold up your sleeve for me." He asked her, the vampire confused but complying.

He the ran his hand just over the sleeve and the water just...lifted from it and gathered into a ball in Isaac's hand, much to her shock.

"You...Can control water?" She asked, her voice weak.

"...Yeah...I can, but not as well as I can with my Air powers. I hope you understand why I didn't want to tell you. I just didn't want you to be afraid of me because I have control over the element that can bring a Vampire to their knees. I just hope you trust me enough to know that I'd never use this against you." Isaac explained to her, asserting the point that he wouldn't betray the trust she put in him.

_**"...He took a risk in revealing this to us...It was a bit foolish, but he meant well. You have a good friend and ally in him. If you trust him, then so shall I."**_

"Ura says she still trusts you." Moka replied, her strength returning, but slowly. She'd need some blood to fully replenish her strength and she leaned for his neck, but he stopped her.

"Don't...We don't know what will happen if you drink my blood." He warned, but she looked confused.

"But...What could happen?" She asked.

"Remember how Tsukune's blood has been tasting lately?" He asked her, getting a nod.

"Okay then...That's because of his diet, but what about my water powers? My blood might be poisonous to you." He stated, her eyes flying wide.

_**"That is a major concern...I'm glad he stopped us, or no telling what might have happened."**_

"I...I see." She replied, but they both heard yelling and screaming coming from the pool.

"Wh-what?! What's going on?!" Moka yelled.

"I don't know, but it came from the pool. Come on!" Isaac barked, the Vampire following his lead.

_**A FEW MINUTES EARLIER...**_

Tsukune was busy being a hormonal teen, Tamao using every iota of her charms to lull him into a false sense of security. The girls had even put on a water sports show, showcasing pretty girls in bikinis that had every red blooded male's pulse ramped up to the limit and going along with everything the girls said.

Yukari, on the other hand, had told Kurumu about what happened and she was also a bit miffed. Moka may be her rival for Tsukune, but the pink haired girl was also one of her best friends. The part about sparks dancing around Moka after she got wet made her concerned, as well. Water was dangerous to Vampires, but Moka still followed him here. She then ran off, Isaac going along to see what was wrong while she kept an eye on the situation here and his suspicions were well founded.

"Huh? What the hell is going on here?" Kurumu muttered as she saw the Swimming Club girls transform into their true forms...That of Mermaids.

"Oh shit..." The Succubus cursed as she hauled Yukari out of the pool before one could grab her, but forgot about Tsukune.

"TSUKUNE! RUN!" She yelled at him, but Tamao had a firm grip on him.

"Now, now...I can't have such a tasty morsel getting away from me..." She purred, running her hands over his skin while the other mermaids ate their fill of the life forces of the other first years. Once they were finished, they circled around their leader while keeping Kurumu and Yukari at bay.

"I caught a whiff of your delicious scent during the opening ceremony...A scent that's just like a humans..." She added, her mermaid followers chiming in.

"Tamao...Don't hog him all to yourself..."

"Yeah...I wanna taste, too..."

"I might as well have the first _**bite...**_**" **Tamao stated, her beauty vanishing as her mouth morphed into a gaping maw with rows of sharp teeth, ready to sink into the human boy when a blast of water smacked her dead in the face, forcing her to unlatch herself while Kurumu took advantage of the confusion it caused to fly Tsukune to safety.

"Are you okay?!" She yelled.

"Yeah! Thanks to you!" He replied, but asked a question.

"Who shot at her?"

"I did." A voice rang out. There stood Isaac, standing on the surface of the water as if it were solid ground, his hand outstretched with a glowering scowl on his face.

_**"Who the hell are you?! How are you doing that?!"**_ Tamao demanded angrily.

"None of your business." He growled, leaping back to the side of the pool to confer with the only member of the group that could fly.

"Kurumu...You think you could get the others out of there if Yukari and I cover you?" He asked of her. She thought about it for a moment, then nodded.

"Yeah...I could do it."

"Good...Ready...GO!" He barked, he and the witchling picking off and sniping any mermaid foolish enough to attack her while she fished the victims out of the water, delivering them to safety.

While all of this was happening, Tamao was seething with anger.

_'Water is OUR domain...yet he bends it to his will. What IS he?!'_ She thought angrily as she tried to make a snap at Yukari, who seemed the most vulnerable, only to be blasted back into the water by a water projectile slung by the conduit, the Succubus now finished with her task.

"They're all clear! Take 'em out!" She yelled to her friend, who nodded, had Tsukune take Moka away form the area, and lept out onto the water again, trying to lure the mermaids in close. It was working, since Tamao's damaged pride from earlier was getting the better of her.

_**"I'll feast on you until only bones remain!"**_ She snarled readying a leap at his side, while two more were prepared to side swipe him until the water began to churn and swirl at an alarming speed.

_**"Wh-what are you doing?!"**_ The head Mermaid stammered fearfully.

"You'll see..." He replied icily as the water's speed ramped up into a massive, howling cyclone that towered above the pool, taking all of the mermaids inside for the worst spin cycle they would ever experience.

After he felt they'd had enough, he halted the improptu tropical storm and had it spit them out onto the ground, where they were so dizzy they couldn't even form coherent sentences.

"Gonna barf..."

"I don't wanna ride that anymore, mommy..."

Isaac touched down off to the side of the pool as Tamao tried and failed to get back up.

"How...Did you beat us so easily? Water is the sole domain of the Mermaid..." She gasped and panted.

"Like I said...None of your business." He replied, walking back to his friends as they all left the pool area.

"Well...That was a bust." Kurumu sighed loudly as Moka and Tsukune were ironing out what happened.

"I'm really sorry, Moka..." Tsukune tried to apologize, but Inner Moka wasn't having it, letting him know her displeasure through her outer persona.

"I was really hurt, Tsukune...You let her come between us." She stated, tears in her eyes once again, making Tsukune feel like a real jackass.

"There was a reason why she couldn't get in the water with you. Water's like poison to her." Kurumu stepped in to explain, but the explaination made him feel even worse.

"I didn't know..." He apologized again as Moka eased up. There was no way he could have known about a vampire's weakness, especially since she never told him. He also genuinely looked ashamed of what happened.

"As long as you understand..." Moka whispered as she hugged him, but also clamping down on her personal juice box as they all walked away from the scene before more people showed up.

_**ONE WEEK LATER...**_

A full week had gone by and they still hadn't found a club that appealed to them. Isaac was the most resistant to joining a club as it would interfere with his training regimen, while the others just could find a club that wasn't filled with total freaks or weirdos, or just didn't appeal to them.

"*Sigh*...Another club that's just not for us..." Tsukune sighed as the group left a small room in the main building.

"Tell me about it...All they wanted was to oogle my chest and feel up on Moka and Yukari. That gaggle of freaks were almost as bad as those three fanboy losers." Kurumu griped as Moka and Yukari agreed with her.

"Well...What did you expect from the _Gravure Appreciation Club_, and from the fact that there were no other girls in it? I just didn't expect this place to actually _have_ a club like that." The reluctant Conduit remarked.

"Yeah, yeah...I know." She grumbled as they walked on until a voice called out to them.

"Why don't you join the journalism club?" The voice asked. They looked up and saw that is was Miss Nekonome.

"Journalism Club? Like a newspaper or something like that?" Isaac asked.

"Meow! Exactly right!" She replied spritely as she took them over to the journalism club's room to meet the members...

...Sorry. Member.

"What the hell?" Kurumu mouthed as she looked around for the non-existent members of the club, save for the tall-ish second year they were introduced to, Ginei Morioka.

"I'll leave you kids to get acquainted!" Nekonome sang as she skipped out of the room.

Gin, as he was asking to be called, wasted no time cozying up to the girls, all the while completely ignoring the guys. His bag of tricks included the standard flattery, flowers, etc., but seemed especially focused on Moka.

"What the hell? Who does this freak think he is?" Isaac whispered to Tsukune, but his attention was transfixed on Moka. The poor girl was trying to fend off Gin, but he was especially persistent.

"Excuse me, but..." Tsukune tried to intervene, but Gin cut him off.

"Ah! More members! Welcome to the Journalism Club and the Youkai Gazette. I am the club president, Ginei Morioka, you can call me Gin-sempai." He replied genially, but something about him seemed off to Isaac.

When he greeted himself and Tsukune, his manners seemed forced, as if he wanted to be alone with the girls. Gin already set off some alarms in his head, so he wanted to keep an eye in the wannabe Lothario. The best way to do that, though he was loathe to admit it, was to join the club. As he watched the older student rant on about the perils of investigative journalism, he asked them if they had heard about anything news worthy. That was when Kurumu brought up something very interesting.

"I heard there's a peeping tom running around campus. Some girls are too afraid to get changed without locking the doors and windows. Some have tried to catch him in the act, but he's just too fast. A few girls thought it was Isaac, but we made sure they knew it wasn't." Yukari stated, speaking for Kurumu and Moka as well.

The tiny witchling had been especially adamant about defending him and the other girls felt that she'd know the semi-reclusive young man better than anyone else since she followed him everywhere. Moka and Kurumu knew him well enough to know that he hated perverts, if his reaction to the fan club trio was any indication.

"Really?" Isaac asked, his eyes narrowing.

This was news to him. He thought that some girls were looking at him strangely, and now he knew why. This pervert that's been running around made him into a patsy, and now this person had to pay. Joining this club just became useful. The others could help him track this pervert down.

"Where is he usually spotted? Does he have any habits or patterns?" Isaac inquired, his interest in this story visibly unnerving Gin.

Gin didn't know who this guy was, but he was taking this _very_ personally and it made him nervious. He knew nothing about him, his monster type or abilities, but the way he carried himself spoke volumes to the journalist.

_'This one will be a problem...I'll need to be careful with him around.'_ Gin thought as he eyed the newcomer with scrutiny while the others had their attention on him.

"Don't you think this would be a good story?" Kurumu asked him, making him quickly school his features back to that of an amicable, friendly person. However, it wasn't quick enough as the boys caught his slip. Their suspicions were further spurred on by his next choice of words.

"Now, now...We can't be sure that this peeping tom even exists. How do we know that he _is_ a peeping tom?" Gin asked, trying to steer this conversation away from the subject.

To that effect, he had them move on to other tasks, such as re-arranging the room and making sure he sent Isaac out of the room, with Gin directing them of course and having the girls up on ladders. Of course, this combined with the short skirts gave him plenty of panty shots. As Tsukune dropped his load off and turned around, they saw Gin getting his rocks off using a camera equipped with a silenced shutter, allowing him to snap pics with impunity.

"Hey! What are you doing?!" Tsukune hissed, trying to put a stop to his perversions, but he quickly tossed him the camera and spoke out loud.

"Why are you taking pictures of their panties?" Gin asked loudly to get their attention.

"Tsukune?! You pervert!" Moka yelled angrily.

"You didn't have to sneak a peek, Tsukune! You only had to ask!" Kurumu added.

"You creep! Eat this!" Yukari chimed in, dropping a pan on his head for good measure as he tried to defend himself.

"B-but I didn't do anything!" He bleated out, but Gin was eager to add fuel to the fire.

"Then why do you have that camera in your hand?" Gin accused, further arousing the ire of the girls.

As Tskune grasped for answers as to why he had a camera in his hands, Moka hauled off and smacked him, running off on her own. As she ran out, Isaac rounded the corner in time to see Tsukune chase after her, prompting him to rush back.

"What the hell happened here?" Isaac nearly demanded.

"I don't like your tone, underclassman." Gin retorted, seeing a challenge to his authority.

"And I don't think I was asking you. Now...What happened?" He bit back at Gin before asking again, Yukari fielding it.

"That's wierd...That's not like him. He's kind of a prude at times." Isaac muttered aloud, making the other two think this over.

"Yeah...I guess you have a point there." Kurumu agreed with Yukari seconding her as they left to find their two wayward friends.

Gin swore inwardly, seeing that this guy was able to talk some sense into the others and unraveling his plan to tarnish Tsukune and _comfort_ the girls, building his own little harem in the process.

_'Dammit! I need to step it up a few more notches. Then...Those sweet honies are all mine, especially Moka.'_ He thought deviously, his mind already feverishly concocting another plan.

Over with Tsukune, he finally managed to catch up to Moka thanks to being in better shape, explaining what had happened.

"You...Didn't try to take pictures of our panties?" She sniffled.

"No! I'd never do that, Moka! You know me better than that!" He exclaimed exasperated, seeing her finally calm down, but that returning calm also meant to her that the Blood Bank of Aono was back in business as she helped herself to a rejuvenating tug from his neck.

"I feel better now..." She mewled as the rest of their friends finally caught up to them, but Inner Moka had a few words to share with her other self.

_**"Be careful around that Gin. He's hiding something."**_ She warned.

_"That's strange. Isaac said the same thing and he was acting kind of hostile toward him and Tsukune was a little wary of him too." _Moka replied.

_**"...He has good instincts and Tsukune's awareness is getting better. They have good reason to be cautious, as should you."**_ Her inner stated as she went back to sleep.

Later that night, Gin was standing on top of a building with a near full moon in the night sky, looking down into Moka's window. He had barely evaded Isaac's roving patrol of the campus, coming very close to being found out. He knew that he would have to nab Moka very soon, or this new student would eventually find him.

"Moka...You WILL be mine. It's only a matter of time." He decreed as he turned in for the night.

_**A FEW DAYS LATER...**_

The next week went by quickly with nothing eventful happening, but the pervert was still at large. Isaac, however, was hunting high and low for the elusive peeper every night. However, he was unsuccessful and the accounts of sightings and reports were piling up. Moka had forgiven Tsukune for the events of the past week, with a little prodding from Isaac, but Gin was through yet.

We now find Gin hanging around the changing room for one of the girls sports clubs, getting his jollies while silently contemplating his options in dealing with his obstacle to Moka, aka Tsukune.

_'Dammit...She clings to him like shit to a blanket! There has to be something I can do that breaks them up...'_ He thought as he listened in on a conversation two girls were having inside.

"So are Aono and Akashiya going steady or something?" One girl asked.

"Well...I heard from a friend of a friend that she always kisses him on the neck!" Her friend giggled, but Gin blew a gasket at the news.

_'What the hell?! NO WAY!'_ He thought as he accidentally gave himself away during his small freak out session.

"Who was that?!" A girl asked the others, who threw on a shirt and threw the window open to see Tsukune walking by.

"You pervert!" She screamed as the hapless young man ran for the hills.

Later, word had gotten around that he had been peeping into a changing room, the girls finding out without fail. As expected, he was given the cold shoulder.

"I can't believe you, Tsukune!" Moka admonished.

"Yeah! I'd show you my goodies whenever you want, but you go and peep?! How lame is that?!" Kurumu yelled, also turning her back on him as Isaac and Yukari watched on.

"Something's not right here..." Yukari tried to reason, but they wouldn't listen to her as the silent treatment began.

The days ground on, Isaac's hunting for the real pervert proving unsucessful and Tsukune's spirits sinking even lower. After sulking around the club room in a depressed daze, Gin approached him.

_'Heh...Time to deliver the finishing blow...'_ He thought fiendishly, sauntering up to the sullen young man.

"Hey...I know you didn't do it. You know what? I could probably help you find the real pervert and clear your name." Gin stated with false sincerety, taking him by the shoulder.

Out on the grounds, Gin led Tsukune out to a building near the club room.

"I've heard rumors that the pervert hanging out in here. Here's a camera...Catch that scumbag in the act." Gin urged.

"I've got nothing else to lose." Tsukune reasoned as he took the pro-offered camera and stood on a trashcan to get a better look, but no sooner than he looked inside, he saw that it was the girl's locker room.

_'What the hell?! I've been set up!'_ Tsukune realised far too late as he heard a shutter click. He looked over to see Gin holding another camera, a fiendish look on his face.

"So, you're the peeping tom everyone's been looking for!" Gin announced loudly, getting the attention of everyone inside as they looked to see Tsukune holding a camera at their window.

"B-but...I...!" He stammered trying to defend himself, but the girls wouldn't have it, beating the crap out of him.

From an adjoining roof top, Isaac watched what had happened, but held off on acting on it. He wanted to see just what Gin's objective and end game were, so busting him now would ruin it.

_'I knew that son of a bitch was up to something. Now, I just need to follow give you enough rope to hang yourself with. I hope Tsukune doesn't do anything stupid in the mean time.'_ He decided as he shadowed Moka, knowing that Gin would eventually come to _comfort_ her.

Back in the club room, the rumors made the rounds and eventually made it to Yukari and Kurumu, who also confronted him about this. Kurumu sensed that something wasn't right, but Moka was still reeling and her judgement was a little impaired.

"Tsukune..." Moka uttered in a trembling voice as she approached Tsukune. He tried to touch her shoulder, but she slapped his hand away then slapped him.

"You jerk! I defended you!" She yelled as she ran off, tears running down her face as Kurumu ran after her, trying to calm her down while the other girls gave him hell.

Off to the side, Gin was chuckling devilishly. His plan was working better than he thought it would, and now all he had to was reel Moka in with some suave words.

.

_**LATER THAT NIGHT...**_

Moka was watching the full moon in the sky as she thought back on all of the memories she'd shared with Tsukune. He was the very first true friend she had in her life thus far, so she still had a very strong attachment to him. It was this attachment that was now making her think about this whole situation. The whole peeping thing just wasn't like him, if his reaction to the fanclub trio's actions were any indication. On top of that, Isaac seemed to believe that the real culprit was still out there, since he was insisting that Tsukune was innocent.

As she was busy with everything on her mind, Gin sauntered up behind her to enact the final leg of his plan.

"Hey there Moka...Still upset over what that creep Tsukune did to you?" He asked, but before she could answer, he kept on pushing.

"You know...I'd never do that to you, Moka. I'd never hurt you like he did." He added, making his intentions known.

"But...I still...Believe in him." She stuttered but he made his move, wrapping his arms around and trying to kiss her.

"H-hey! No!" She yelled, pushing him away.

"Well...I didn't want to do this, but here. Proof that he was the pervert." Gin stated, showing her the Polaroid he himself snapped.

"These were taken by someone earlier today and made the rounds around school." He added, pushing the vampire closer to the edge, but a voice rang out from the shadows.

"I know, Gin. You took some real nice shots of Aono _after_ setting him up." The voice stated in a firm tone that sounded none too pleased.

"...What?" She asked in a weak voice, staring at Gin while backing away slightly. Seeing his ruse dangerously close to coming undone, he quickly rebutted.

"I...I have no idea what you're talking about! Who are you supposed to be, anyway?!" Gin demanded after his weak defense. He was trying to locate the source of the voice, but it was bouncing around everywhere so he couldn't pin it down.

"Who I am is none of your concern. What matters is the fact that Aono is innocent." The voice replied, a figure stepping out of the shadows to reveal a person in what looked like a long cloak with a hood, complete with a half-mask to hide his identity.

"What the hell are you supposed to be?" Gin laughed, but a strong blast knocking him off his feet quelled that as Kurumu, Tsukune, and Yukari raced up to the rooftop they were on.

"Like I said, none of you business. The bottom line here is that you are the real peeper, you just used Aono as a convenient scapegoat. From what I gathered, you wanted Moka to yourself, so you just kept trying to drive a wedge between them, like you did in the club room. Everything you did since they joined to the club has led to this point." The mystery person stated.

"How did you know about the club room?!" Gin yelled out, but tipped his hand.

"Gin? Is that true?" Moka asked him.

"But...What about the photos?! He even moved the drum over to the window to get a good look!" Gin fired back, his facade crumbling around him and was now being trapped in his lies and deception.

"And how would you have known about the drum, Gin?" Kurumu challenged.

She made a very good point. If Gin was innocent and supposedly obtained these pictures second hand, how would he have known? He tried to answer for it, but everything he said only sounded more and more suspicious. Finally, he looked up at the moon and just chuckled.

"And I had such a convincing front going, too. I almost had Aono out of the way and Moka all to myself. I could have done this cleanly, but now you've forced me to get rid of all of you...Starting with you." Gin declared, pointing at the mystery person.

"Better people than you have died trying. I'll only warn you once. Back down or pain will be the least of your worries. I have no qualms against making problems disappear, either." The mystery person stated, in no mood for games.

Yukari got a good look at what she could see of his face and noticed something about his eyes. The had a certain glow to them in the darkness. It was very faint, but it was there. The only other person she knew that had that unique trait was...

_'Isaac? Is that really him underneath that mask?'_ She asked herself while Inner Moka could feel his unique energy signature.

_**'He must not have wanted Gin to know it's him to assert a certain amount of intimidation. I have to admit that as ridiculous as it seems, it's working.'**_

Back with the others, Gin grinned nastily as he looked up to see the clouds move aside, revealing a full moon.

"Heh...Nice. Looks like this will be over _**quickly!**_" Gin snarled as he shed his human form, turning into a large, hulking werewolf.

'_A werewolf? Ah shit...And it's a full moon out, too. He probably had this in mind coming here and we walked right into it.'_ Isaac scolded himself.

_**"I'll rip away the truth until only Moka and I remain!"**_ Gin bellowed as he disappeared in a surprizing burst of speed, landing a powerful blow against his cloaked opponent and sending him into the side of the roof entrance.

"Dammit...Wasn't expecting that." Isaac groaned as he pulled himself out, his cloak now in the way so he shed it.

_**"You? The forgein kid? Never would have pegged a weak looking guy like you for some crusader of justice."**_ Gin taunted.

"My days of playing hero of justice are over. I just protect my own now. You just threatened my friends, tried to force yourself on Moka, tried to frame Tsukune and you nearly framed me for what you've been doing. You're a four star wanker,_ sempai_." Isaac snarled back at the massive creature, showing no signs of fear.

His lack of fear only incensed Gin to attack again, but Isaac was ready for him this time, dodging quickly and countering with a powerful roundhouse kick to his jaw that sent him staggering away. Isaac followed up his counter with a vicious assault, using martial arts mixed with his powers to even the odds, since Gin in his monster form was much stronger physically than he was. Isaac hit him with a blast of air that sent him tumbling away, but recovered and made an attempt to get at Tsukune and the others, at least trying to take them down if Isaac wasn't going to be as easy as he thought. Seeing him break away, the Conduit swore as he tried to run him down and intercept the werewolf. He managed to reach his randomly selected target, Kurumu, and tackle her out of the way but his shirt was ripped apart. Although, he was very lucky that the claws missed his flesh by scant millimeters. Feeling the breeze, he knew what happened.

"Dammit...There's no hiding it now." He swore as he let the Succubus up.

As he tore off his shirt and turned around to face Gin, his friends all saw the disturbing mosaic of scars that gnarled his flesh, but they also noticed that Tsukune wasn't surprized by it at all. Even Gin was visibly shaken by what he just saw.

"Oh my God..." Moka whimpered, the other girls mirroring her thoughts. Even Inner Moka was at a loss for words for the grotesque sight she just beheld.

"What happened to you?" Yukari whispered to herself. She could even see the scars he gained saving her life when they first met, since they looked newer than the others.

"There's no time for that right now." He told them, turning his fury onto Gin.

"And you...I'm tired of dealing with you, so it's time to end this!" He roared, massive air pressure building up around the werewolf faster than he could react, pinning him down.

"Wh-what is this?! I...Can't...move!" Gin grunted as he tried to free himself from the invisible force that was weighing him down, but it just kept getting heavier. In his fear, he looked at his opponent, who had his hand outstretched at him with a cold, uncaring look on his face.

"What are you?!" Gin yelled, mortal terror making his heart beat sound like a bass drum in his ears.

"I gave you a warning, Gin. You didn't listen to it and you tried to hurt and possibly kill my friends just so you could have Moka to yourself. Now, you have to pay the price." Isaac stated coldly as he used his Rifle Shot ability to shoot each limb, further incapacitating his target as he gradually lifted the pressure.

Gin tried to get up and run after he felt the weight vanish, but another, far more grave threat revealed itself. He could no longer breathe.

"D-don't...do this...Don't kill...me..." Gin begged, but his pleas fell on uncaring ears. His worst fears were confirmed...This person was toying with him and would likely prolong his suffering.

"No. You had this coming, Gin. You need to be brought to heel and if that means death..." Isaac stated pausing for a moment before continuing while his friends watched these dark changes come over their friend.

"Then so be it. But death won't come easy to you. I'm not that nice." He finished, his tone now dark and devoid of any mercy as he replaced the oxygen, but resumed crushing Gin into the roof.

"T-then you're no different than that tyrant Kuyou." Gin bit out, striking a nerve with Isaac, who released the pressure and walked over to the stricken werewolf, wrapping an adrenaline fueled hand around his windpipe in a surprising show of strength.

"_Never_ compare me to _him_. I only do what has to be done to protect the only friends I have in this world and if I have kill to do it, then I'll do it with no regrets. But just understand this...I am _nothing_ like Kuyou." The conduit snarled at him, letting him go.

"Now...You will _never_ try anything like this ever again, or next time I finish the job and like I said...Death won't come easy because I'm not that nice. Don't fuck with me on this, Gin." Isaac declared, his ultimatum laid bare.

Gin went over his options. Isaac defeated him, a fully powered werewolf, _during_ a full moon. He was at his complete mercy, but was giving him a chance to mend his ways. He also didn't have to think, he knew, that Isaac would follow through on his threat to end him should he go back on his word. The smart choice was an obvious one.

"I...I give up. I won't do this anymore..." Gin agreed, obviously in great pain as he transformed back in his human form.

"Good. Don't forget what I said." Isaac replied in a matter of fact tone as he turned around and put the cloak back on to cover himself, leaving Gin there to get back on his own while the othes followed him.

As they followed him, Kurumu summoned up the courage to speak her thoughts.

"Those scars...Are those the reason Saizou is so scared of you?" She asked, the young man's eye falling in shame.

"Yeah...I promised you guys months ago that I'd tell you the rest of my story. There's no point in holding back, now..." He replied, tiredly launching into how he came to have these scars. He figured if he would tell anyone, he would at least tell them. They trusted him, defended him against the accusations of being the peeper, so he owed them as much.

"After my family was killed while the organization called the First Sons, before they became the DUP, was looking for me, I lived on the streets for another six months, continuing my little hero career and avoiding capture. Eventually, I was cornered by one of their pet Conduits, a true monster by the name of Mikhail Ivanov. I was defeated, beaten, brutalized, tortured, then thrown into a cell with a suppression collar that cancelled out my powers. For the next year and a half, I was experimented on, usually without any kind of anesthesia, so they could turn me into an emotionless killing machine for their personal use. I was ready to give in, so instead of bending and breaking me all the way, they tried to siphon my powers into another conduit using a transfer device, but they screwed it up. I wound up absorbing the powers from the other conduit, gaining my powers over water. They locked me away in a cell to rot after that, but at some point, Cole must have heard about the facility and attacked it, trying to free any conduits he could find. Unfortunately, I was the only one he could find that was either still alive or not a vegetable. He took me to New Marais in the Southeastern United States, where the people there kept us hidden. I lived there for a little over a year with Cole and Zeke, where they managed to break through to me, I guess." He stated as he took a small break, allowing them an opening to ask questions.

"Imprisoned as a child..." Yukari gasped. She had read up on the Salem Witch Trials in very early America, as well as the various things that happened to witches through the ages, and this was disturbingly similar. The only difference was that religion wasn't involved, only a lust for power.

"Like I said, I lived there for a little over a year, but Moya came back and she brought her new DUP organization with her. The people in New Marais helped us escape, trying to hold them off, but as we left the swamps, we saw a huge fireball just wipe New Marais off the map. Days later, we heard it said that Conduit terrorists did it. Over 10,000 innocent people were killed just to get to us." Isaac said, having to stop for a minute to get his bearings again while his friends were shocked and terrified that these humans would go so far to capture them that they would sacrifice thousands of innocent lives.

"We wandered West out to California, hiding in the massive Yosemite Forests to avoid capture. Everytime we tried to go into town, we saw the DUP either rounding people up or just killing them on the spot, all for being suspected Conduits. A few months later, Mikogami, the headmaster here at Youkai, found us. He told us that Conduits were now accepted as a new race of Ayashi, and that an Enclave of Witches offer to take us in. Yukari's mom took me into her home, gave me a room to sleep in for the first time in months. Granny Hannah helped us learn your language with a potion she created just for us, and they enrolled me here. A week later, I hopped on the bus and that was when we met, as well as the end of the story." Isaac finished.

"That's how you gained them...And why Tsukune hid the truth from us. He knew, but you asked him to keep it a secret. But...Why?" Moka asked.

"I'm...Ashamed of them. If your body was as badly scarred and mutilated as mine was, would you want to show anyone?" Isaac asked her honestly. The vampire girl was taken back at the bluntness of the question, but had no answer for him.

"It's because he's a warrior. A scar from battle is a mark of honor, but from torture...It's a mark of shame." A voice called out behind them. It was Gin, who had recovered just enough to walk over.

He had overheard the story that had been told and honestly wasn't ashamed he was defeated by Isaac anymore. He now understood why he reacted the way he did, why he was so protective of his friends and why he was so hostile to him. Isaac was more than just a warrior, he was a guardian, one who would shoulder any burden to protect what few loved ones he has.

"...Close enough..." Isaac muttered as Gin continued.

"He's a better man than I could hope to be...And I was wrong to compare him to Kuyou. I'm sorry about that." Gin apologized honestly. He also apologized for his actions and swore to better himself. Not only for himself, but for his club, too. The club was all he had left to remember his friends after the PSC purged it the previous year. He only wished he'd had the courage to stand up to Kuyou back then. Yes, he might have died, but his conscience would be clear. Isaac faced him without fear, something he greatly respected.

Yukari came over and ran her hands over the scars, not able to hold back her tears as the pair embraced tightly.

"Come on...Let's go home." Isaac said tiredly, the rest understanding and leaving for their rooms to get some much needed sleep and to think about all that had happened that night.

_A/N: Whew...It's been a rough time for me recently. I just moved into a new apartment, my divorce is final only to find out that my now ex-wife is getting married soon. That was a real sucker punch... Anyway, I hope that you all enjoyed this chapter. I have also included a new profile of another Conduit, Isaac himself. Here you go..._

_Isaac Rodriguez - 17 - Male_

_STR - 6 _

_DEF - 6_

_SPD - 10_

_AGI - 9_

_PWR - 9_

_High School student at Youkai Academy, but originally from East Los Angeles, California._

_Atmospheric manipulation, including wind. Also had Water based powers forced upon him in captivity, both are now permanent. Has overwhelming speed and the reflexes to use it, but only somewhat above average strength. Also an extremely capable CQB combatant with various forms of martial arts mixed with freerunning and parkour skills._

_Mood tends to vary, able to go from laid back to sadistic cruel in a heartbeat if the situation calls for it due to past experiences hardening him. Feels duty bound to answer the call to arms should the need arise. However, he is doggedly loyal to his friends and allies, to the point that he will kill if necessary. Also has a slight obsession with physical fitness, training constantly. Has a complex about the scars all over his upper body._

_**Also...A special shout out to my beta, dracohalo117. **_

_**See you soon, folks...**_


	4. Chapter 4

_** Hey y'all...I'm back with another chapter. I actually had this one finished some time ago along with the rough draft for another story idea I had at the same time, but I decided to go with this one. I would have cranked that one out too, but my personal life has been a living hell for a while. Just moved into a single bedroom apartment, which is actually quite cheap where I live...Only $600 a month with a $200 deposit. My last place was an actual house for 1100, a 3 bed/2 bath 1500 sq/ft corner lot. I could have kept it going on my own, but I couldn't build up any savings. Now that I've streamlined my finances and things have calmed down, I might able to get more writing done.**_

_** Anywho...We now move past the Gin story arc and now...the beautiful Ice Girl Mizore takes the stage! Happy reading! **_

_**ONE MONTH LATER…**_

Some time had passed since the incident with Gin and the stories and rumors about the peeper had died down, Gin either getting smarter or holding to his word. At least he wasn't attempting anything with his friends. When not training Tsukune or hanging around with the others, Isaac was following up on Miss Nekonome's request and his own personal mission, finding out what was going on with Mizore. He had quit the club to devote more time to the mission, Miss Nekonome not fully approving, but she understood why. Isaac had a hunch as to what happened, based on what he saw in the cafeteria a few weeks ago, but no solid proof. To that end, he watched Kotsubo like a hawk. He constantly stared at Mizore, who tried to hide herself from him as much as possible. Isaac tried asking Gin to investigate, but he came up with nothing on Kotsubo, much to their frustration. Finally not able to stand it anymore, he tracked her down outside of the girl's dorms one day and dragged her off to the side.

"I've been trying to talk to you for weeks. What's going on? I can't help if I don't know what's happening." He told her, trying to be gentle and not scare her off.

"Why..." She whispered.

"What?"

"Why are you trying to help me?" She asked weakly. She liked him, but she was scared. Kotsubo tried to take advantage of her and nearly raped her, so once bitten twice shy.

"I thought you wanted to be my friend...That's why. I kinda like you and see some of my old self in you." He replied, but bit his tongue at the end.

_'I kinda like you? What the hell am I saying?! But...I kind of...do like her.'_ He thought it over, but she took what he said better than he thought she would. She gave him a ghost of a smile to show that he was getting through to her.

"There we go...You know, you can tell me what's wrong. I was really worried about you after you walked off on me back in the cafeteria." He told her, trying to press the fact that he was worried sick about her. After she calmed down some more, he began to ask questions.

"When you told me that you didn't like teachers, were you talking about all of them, or just one?" He asked her seriously.

"J-just one..." She mumbled just loud enough for him to hear.

"Okay...I have a good idea from there. You don't have to say his name, but...Can you tell me what happened?" He nudged her gently, having learned this kind of approach from Moka. The girl had a gift for conversation. Slowly, the shell around Mizore began to crack as she told him everything.

Apparently, she was very lonely when she first showed up here, having no friends. Kotsubo played the part of the concerned teacher, managing to worm his way into her heart. After a week, he tried to force himself upon her, demanding that she show him gratitude for even pretending to care for such a gullible girl. As he tried to wrestle her down, she flash froze him and ran away. He caught her the next day and threatened her to not tell anyone. If she did, he put the idea into her head that the faculty wouldn't believe her anyway, plus he would do everything to get her expelled from school and anyone who tried to help her would _disappear_. Since then, she had been trying to avoid him and everyone else, out of fear that he would make good on his threat. After she wound down her story, she placed her head on his shoulder, where he could feel her icy tears through his clothes.

_'That son of a bitch...THAT'S why she freaked out. He must have thought that she was going to tell me everything and threatened her to back off. He'll have hell to pay...'_ He thought angrily, inwardly baying for the crooked teacher's blood.

"Don't worry...I'll back you up." He assured her.

"Why are you accepting what I'm saying? He said..." She tried to say, but he cut her off.

"To hell with him and whatever bullshit he's been feeding you! What he did is a crime and he's trying to make sure you don't talk to anyone to save his own miserable ass!" He nearly snapped, but she got the message. That didn't mean that she would stay the course alone.

"But...I..." The Snow Girl stammered, trying to make him stop. She believed that anyone who helped her would be targeted by Kotsubo out of retribution, but she was cut off as he pulled her in again.

"Dammit...I'm _want _to help you...I'm trying to help you. If you're worried that he'll come after _me_, he'll find out that I'm more than he can handle. Just trust me, Mizore...Okay?" He urged her, the silently crying girl nodding into his shoulder.

_'Shit...I thought I'd scare her off...Probably almost did. I never was very good at this, but I guess I'm getting better at holding my temper thanks to handling Yukari. Still, that son of a bitch will burn in hell for this...Even if I have to drag him there myself.'_ He swore, looking down at the girl in his arms.

_'I don't know how it happened or why...But she's special to me. She kinda brings out the best in me for some weird reason and I just can't explain it...Maybe I should talk to Miss Nekonome about this, she might know what to do.'_ He reasoned as he lightly pushed the crying girl away to look her in the eye.

"Hey...I have something I need to take care of. You just lay low for a little while, alright?" He asked of her, Mizore nodding but before she let go, she kissed him on the cheek.

"Thank you..." She whispered as she ran to her room, leaving the Latin-American Conduit stupefied.

"That was...A first..." He mumbled as he left to hopefully find Nekonome before she left campus, but failed to notice a figure listening in from around a corner.

"That little bitch...She won't be talking to anyone...I'll make sure of that." Kotsubo snarled as he set a plan of his into motion.

After freerunning all over the school, he spotted the feline teacher locking up her classroom through a window. He quickly lept over the awnings and across the sills, swinging in behind her and giving her quite a scare.

"Ah! Oh, it's only you Mr. Rodriguez. Please don't scare me like that, meow!" She cried, adding that meow at the end of her sentences that he actually found endearing.

"Sorry about that Miss Nekonome, but I needed to find you in a hurry. It's about Mizore. I found her." He whispered, her ever closed teal colored eyes actually opening a bit in surprise as she unlocked her room and ushered him inside, locking it behind them.

"You said you found Miss Shirayuki? Is she alright?" Shizuka asked worriedly.

"She's doing fine. I asked her to lay low in her dorm room for now, but I found out what happened to her..." He replied, telling the teacher everything Mizore told him. Now, Shizuka was a very kind woman who was very slow to anger. But when her students were threatened, the kindness took a backseat and the claws came out. She genuinely cared for her students and was very open about it.

"Kotsubo...We have had our suspicions that he's been molesting female students for sometime now, but we just couldn't prove anything. The girls all refused to talk about it and the charges were just dropped in the end. I'm glad that you were able to get through to her so she could tell you what happened, and then come to me with it. I'll go tell the Headmaster about what you uncovered, but watch out. I've been told what you really are because you're a special case and that you are more than capable of defending yourself, but be careful." She pleaded with him.

She'd been briefed about him since she was to be his homeroom teacher during his stay at Youkai, so she knew about his bouts of impulsiveness along with his mental trauma.

"Got it, teach. I'll go check on Mizore." He replied, the pair splitting up, the teacher down the hall and the Conduit out the window, bound for the girl's dorms with all possible speed.

In a few moments, he made it back to the girl's dorms and knocked on Mizore's door, but got no answer.

"Mizore...It's me, Isaac. Open up. I need to talk to you. Mizore?" He kept asking again and again, but was met with silence from within. After a moment, a girl from down the hall called out.

"Are you looking for Shirayuki? I think she muttered something about meeting someone named Isaac down at the cliffs. She only left a few minutes ago." The girl informed him, handing him the note she dropped as his eyes went wide with alarm.

"Shit!" He cursed loudly, using a powered leap out of the window to rush to his room to slip on his combat gear before headed to the cliffs. He had a sinking feeling he'd need it.

_'That bastard Kotsubo...I bet it was him that wrote the note and made her think is was me! C'mon...I hope I'm not too late.'_

Along the way, Yukari and Kurumu saw him running as fast as he possibly could, a panicked look on his face.

"What could have him so worried?" Kurumu asked Yukari, since the little witch knew more about how he ticked than she did.

"I don't know, but whatever it is, it can't be good. C'mon!" Yukari prodded.

"Aww...I wanted to go sneak into Tsukune's room..." The Succubus whined as she followed the witchling.

At the cliffs, Mizore looked around for her new friend and waited, but to her horror, Kotsubo appeared out of the tree line with a condescending smirk on his face.

"I can't believe you fell for that, but then again, you thought that all I wanted to do was help." He mocked her, taking pleasure in the fear he was causing her.

"St-Stay away...He'll come to help me...Isaac promised me..." She muttered as she back peddled, but ready to fight if she had to.

"You mean that stupid foreign kid? You're trying to wrap your legs around a filthy gaijin? You little slut..." He sneered at her, advancing on her again but she fired off a small salvo of ice darts at him as a warning shot, adopting her Yuki-Onna form.

"You little bitch...Raising your hand to a teacher? I need to show you how to respect your elders..." He snarled as he once again advanced upon her, but a yell distracted him.

"MIZORE!" Isaac bellowed, landing a crushing spinning reverse roundhouse kick to the teacher's face, launching him a few yards away as he checked her over.

"Are you alright?!" He asked her, panic on his face.

"Y-yes...I can't believe it...You came to help me, just like you promised..." She stated, in complete shock that someone would stick their neck out for her.

"I always keep a promise, good or ill...Is this your ayashi form?" He asked her. It was quite a sight to behold.

"Y-yes...Do you...like it?" She asked shyly.

"Beautiful..." He muttered, spellbound by her appearance as her cheeks became a rosy red, but their special moment was interrupted by a massive tentacle speeding toward Mizore.

"NO!" He cried, pushing her out of the way and getting caught himself in the tentacle's crushing embrace.

_**"Little pissant...I can't have you ruining my good name here at the Academy, so you're going to have a little accident now." **_ The now transformed Kotsubo, revealed to be a Kraken, taunted as he continued to wring the life out of the Conduit.

"Isaac..." She whispered, but this also brought forth her icy wrath.

_**"LET HIM GO!"**_ The now fully released Yuki-Onna demanded angrily, the surrounding forest for over 50 yards now flash frozen in an impressive display of raw power.

_**"Wait your turn, little snow bitch...You can fuck him all you want in Hell..."**_ Kotsubo sneered, but Mizore wasn't ready to back down as she launched her full fury at the teacher, actually forcing him to stumble back but it wasn't enough to make him let go, Yukari and Kurumu arriving just after that.

"ISAAC!" Yukari screamed in horror, seeing her adopted sibling having the life crushed from his body as he struggled to get free.

Looking down, he saw that Mizore was doing everything she could to help him, but Kotsubo was just too strong in his ayashi form. Also, to his horror, he saw Kotsubo turn his attention toward Yukari and Kurumu as well.

_'Looks like I have no choice. I never wanted to use this against a living person ever again...But this asshole pushed me too far.'_ He decided.

"Hey asshole...You wanna see something really cool?" He smirked at the towering ayashi that used to be a gym teacher.

_**"What do you have to be smirking about? You're about to die, your little snow slut and those other two along with you."**_ Kotsubo demanded to know.

"I'm feeling a little thirsty...Be a pal and gimme a drink..." He commented with a evil grin, grasping the tentacle holding him tightly and proceeded to suck out all of the moisture in it, mummifying it within seconds via his own version of Cole's Bio Leech.

_**"S-stop! What are you doing?!"**_ The creature cried in pain, throwing the conduit to the ground roughly at it tried to figure out just what the hell he did to him.

"Ouch..." He groaned as the girls ran to his side.

"Are you okay?" Mizore asked frantically.

"Gimme a little ice..." He asked, the Snow Maiden complying by creating a handful of pure crystalline ice in his hands.

"Thanks..." He croaked in pain as he absorbed the water the ice was made of_** (Come on...Ice is only frozen water. All he needs to do is speed the molecules back up to convert it to water again.)**_, his wounds beginning to heal.

"I didn't even need to purify if first...Good stuff." He commented as she sat back up, his injuries from nearly being crushed and rough re-introduction to the ground healed to the point where he could get back into the fight.

"How did you do that? Is that something else a Conduit can do?" Kurumu asked, having not seen anything like that before.

"That...was something I never wanted to use against a living target ever again. All Conduits are different from what Cole told me, so that is an ability unique to me. I can absorb water from nearly _any_ source, including other living creatures. But to use it to heal myself, it needs to be pure or I could end up poisoning myself." He replied, standing back up to face Kotsubo.

"Hey asshole...Down here!" Isaac yelled, trying to draw his attention away from the girls so they could get some hits in without getting targeted, but Kotsubo was too angry to even think anymore.

_**"You little bastard! DIE!"**_ Kotsubo bellowed in rage, intending to smash them all with his other tentacles, but Kurumu was able to fly Yukari out of there while Isaac carried Mizore.

"He's pissed!" Kurumu exclaimed as they observed from a distance, the commotion having now attracted Tsukune and Moka, the two being filled in by Isaac on what happened.

_**'That miserable worm of a teacher...Defiling young maidens to sate his lust and abusing his position to get away with it! Let me out of here, so I can teach him his place!'**_ Ura raged within the Rosario.

"Ura wants to fight..." Moka told everyone. She agreed with her inner self, this...disgusting man needed to be taken out before more innocent students suffered at his hands.

_'I'm not too fond of my chances fighting this damn thing alone, at least without outright killing him and hurting everyone else in the process, and I don't want the others getting hurt. Inner Moka though...She and I working together might have a good chance of pulling this off.'_ He decided as Tsukune removed the Rosario, Inner Moka now coming out to play.

"Think you can keep him busy while I whip up something special?" He asked Moka, who scoffed indignantly.

"Who do you think you're talking to? Just do what you have to do." She retorted, but he had a warning for her.

"When you hear a loud whistling sound, RUN. You don't want to be anywhere near ground zero when I hit, now give 'im hell!" He barked as he utilized his wind abilities to launch himself high into the skies above them, over 1000 meters in the air, just high enough to achieve terminal velocity along with a velocity and mass boost using his powers.

Once he reached that height he suspended himself in midair, aiming to come down directly on top of Kotsubo' now massive form. This was his own form of Cole's Thunder Drop cranked up to 11. He called it Planet Fall, since from a high enough altitude, the shockwave it created was like a meteor striking the ground. Once he was sure of his aim and ability to make minor trajectory corrections mid-drop, he dove straight down to the ground, already feeling the heat build up from the extreme friction.

Moka heard the sound he warned her about and backed off to what she deemed a safe distance as the falling conduit plunged to earth like a meteorite, hitting his target with dead accuracy in the chest. The resulting winds, concussive shockwave, and air currents ripped and slashed the massive Kraken into submission, the sheer pressure creating a huge crater where he made landfall. Once the dust died down, they could see Isaac kneeling, panting from the extreme effort of controlling a drop from that high up in combination from his only partially healed wounds. When they saw Kotsubo, he had shifted back to his human form, badly battered and bleeding from various cuts and gashes. Isaac felt drained of his energy and sluggish, but dragged himself to his feet and stumbled over to the fallen pervert.

"Y...You j-just attacked a t-teacher...I'll have y-you all expelled..." He threatened, but it was completely ignored.

"You son of a bitch...Why? Why did you do this?" The young wind user grated out as he struggled to remain standing.

"B-because...High School g-girls are sooo sweet and tight...Virgins...every last one of them..." Kotsubo sneered, not thinking he had the nerve to finish him off, but he was dead wrong. A small swirling mass of air, akin to a powerful rifle round, was fired off into his shoulder from close range, causing mind shredding amounts of pain. But Kotsubo was intent on playing the tough guy to the end.

"W-what...Upset that I n-nearly deflowered your little girlfriend before you could?" The soon to be former teacher mocked and taunted as a second drill like air bullet found purchase in his other shoulder, Isaac doing this while his face was devoid of any mercy. He charged up a third and final bullet, this one aimed for his head but before he could go any further, Nekonome ran into the clearing with a few other staff members behind her.

"Mr. Rodriguez...We can take over from here. Mr. Kotsubo is of this moment fired from his teaching position here at Youkai and under arrest for multiple counts of molestation and possible rape." Shizuka told him, but she was ignored. She braved getting close to him and placed a calming hand on his shoulder.

"Isaac...You can stand down now...He won't be hurting anyone else anymore. Don't kill him...Let him suffer in jail." She told him softly.

He physically jerked, remembering the words his brothers said to him as he fired the round into the ground next to his head.

"Weakling..." Kotsubo scoffed, but Isaac kicked him in the face to knock him out.

"You're one to talk..." He muttered as Mizore embraced him from the front, the rest of his friends joining in while Ura hung back with a smirk, Nekonome smiling.

"You did the right thing, Isaac. I'm proud of you, of all of you." She stated as she and the other staff members bound up Kotsubo and dragged him away, never to darken their school ever again.

"Thank you...Thank you..." The Snow Girl sobbed into his chest, her nightmare finally over.

"No thanks needed...Just doing my job." He replied out of habit from his old hero days back in LA, letting her get everything out of her system until she calmed down.

"Looks like my work here is done. Isaac, we need to spar sometime. I could use the workout and you seem strong enough. Later..." Inner Moka called out, re-sealing herself and changing back to her outer persona again as Isaac was bombarded with questions.

"Is this is what's been on your mind for the past few months?" Tsukune asked of him.

"Yeah...It was. Miss Nekonome asked me to look into it, but I never imagined it was this bad." He answered.

"You could have come to us for help!" Yukari admonished in a huff, having become familiar with his quirk of doing things solo, but that didn't mean she liked it.

"Old habits die hard, I guess. Anyway...Everyone, I'd like you to meet Mizore...Huh? Where did she go?" He asked, no one noticing that she'd slipped away.

From behind a tree 50 yards away, she watched them with a smile.

_'I'm not ready yet...Give me some time. I'll be back before you know it...Isaac.'_ She thought as she left the area.

_**ONE WEEK LATER...**_

Isaac was getting worried. He hadn't seen Mizore since Kotsubo had been arrested and hauled away in shame before the whole school. What really sealed his fate was the fact that two of the girls he'd molested were still students there, one of them being none other than Tamao Ichinose. When she heard of what happened, she immediately volunteered to testify to what he had been doing to her and a few other members of the Swimming Club. Afterward, she tried to find the person responsible for avenging all of his victims, but the information she got made her feel like absolute crap. Isaac Rodriguez, a first year and one of the boys she tried to drain of his life force and kill, was the one who took on Kotsubo and defeated him. In the end, she apologized for the actions of her club and herself and even tried to hit on him, but he was too preoccupied with Mizore's well being, much to her displeasure.

"Alright, class! Time to start homeroom!" Nekonome chirped cheerfully as the class sat down to begin.

"Damn...I wish I knew where she was..." Isaac sighed, but a familiar voice spoke up next to him.

"It's sweet that you wanted to see me again. I missed you too, Isaac." The voice replied, causing him to jump and look over to find none other than Mizore sitting right next to him.

_'How does she do that?! I thought I was the stealthy one...'_ He asked himself as she gave him an honest smile that left him blushing and grinning slightly himself.

After classes let out for the day, Mizore came to find Isaac, who was busy getting ready to commit to his usual workout with Tsukune and company coming along since the girls wanted to see this training Tsukune was under and Yukari was curious as to how someone would train by running obstacles, the basis of Freerunning and parkour still eluding her.

"I was worried that you left school or something." He admitted to her, but she came there with a mission in mind.

Yuki-Onna only have a small window during which to have children, which is why they are slowly dying out. So, to bolster their numbers, Snow Maidens are to be married off and start having children as early as 17. Young Snow Maidens are encouraged to find a mate as soon as possible, or they would be paired up with a willing male chosen by their Elders and parents. Mizore had thought that Kotsubo would be the one, but he turned out to be a nightmare. However, it was that incident that allowed her to get close to someone that had risked himself to save her without trying to take advantage of her or asking for anything in return. This single deed had earned the young conduit her favor and affection, which she was about to let him know about right about...

...Now.

Without wasting any more time, she lunged forward and captured his lips with hers, surprising the hell out of everyone there.

"Wow...And people say that Succubi are forward..." Kurumu quipped slyly with a matching smirk.

"Hey! I didn't even say you could date him yet!" Yukari huffed, wanting to approve of any girl who was interested in her new elder sibling before she got that far.

"Oh my..." Moka blushed, still so very innocent.

_**"That Snow Maiden knows what she wants and as long as it isn't Tsukune, that's fine by me."**_Ura quipped, Outer Moka agreeing with that. Competing with Kurumu was enough of a pain in the ass.

"Wha...Huh?!" Isaac stammered, steam literally coming out of his ears as she smiled up at him. This was beyond anything he'd ever experience before. If his mind were a computer, it would look a little like this:

_**WARNING...SENSORY OVERLOAD...FULL SYSTEM FAILURE IMMINENT! DANGER!**_

"I decided...That I love you and I want to be with you." She declared, managing to further shock everyone present.

_**MEMORY CRASH...REBOOT INITIATED...**_

"Oh man...This is getting good!" Kurumu hooted with glee while Yukari smoldered, wanting to have a nice long _chat_ with this girl to determine if she was worthy.

"Wow...She just came right out and said it. Crazy." Tsukune commented aloud, but it was far from unbelievable. Kurumu did the same thing to him not too long ago, just ambushing him with her feelings.

"Mizore...Are you sure?" He asked her, his brain finally rebooting.

"Yeah...Very sure." She stated, her choice final as she wrapped her lithe arms around his waist, Zeke's parting message coming to mind.

_"Oh yeah...Try to get yourself a girlfriend while you're there!"_

"I though girls would do this in private...At least that's how the girls in all of those anime shows Zeke watches do it..." He muttered, his complete lack of experience with the opposite sex glaring through.

He was too young to remember when his brothers were in high school and dating, so those examples were out. Cole had no one and Zeke...Was the worst possible example, since women reacted to him like they would to a pile of dog crap most of the time. The women that DID give him the time of day, he managed to screw it up by saying or doing something stupid, pissing her off and getting dumped. The Otaku Elvis look-a-like got his jollies by watching anime, Isaac usually just watching along.

Mizore blinked. What an odd thing to say...But she was hardly one to talk. Shrugging to herself, she kissed him on the cheek again, having to stand on the tips of her toes to do it.

"So?" She asked, wanting an answer after she came out and told him like this.

Kurumu was waiting for his answer with bated breath, as were the others, the succubus clamping a hand over Yukari's mouth to prevent her from blurting something out. Sure, the girl meant well, but that would spoil the mood.

_'This is too good! He's a great guy to have...Any girl would be lucky and after what we heard of his past, he deserves a girl that would never betray him. Mom told me that Snow Maidens are famous for being loyal to their chosen ones even beyond the grave...Like Succubi. Mom might take another guy to bed, but she won't love anyone else like she loved dad.'_ Kurumu thought with a twinge of sadness.

Her father was her mother's destined one, obviously. He died when she was young, but her mother was one of the lucky few that survived her destined one's death. To her, he was an example of what she wanted in her destined one, traits she found in both Tsukune and Isaac. However, it now looks like Isaac was off the market so that was one opportunity missed. Tsukune and Moka were growing closer by the day, and she didn't want to be left behind, seeing Tsukune and Moka holding hands out of the corner of her eye.

Mizore's question was the smack that brought Isaac back down to reality. After all they had been through together in such a short amount of time, she did deserve an answer. He liked Mizore, he really did and even harbored a small crush on her since he first laid eyes on her. She was athletic like him, shared similar interests, their powers complimented each other very nicely, they hit it off nicely and it didn't hurt that he found her very attractive, her striped thigh highs and baggy shirt combo with the lollipop in her mouth added a healthy dose of sexiness, definitely doing something for him.

_'Well...I guess I could give it a shot...Oh man...Eat that Isabella Mendoza!'_ He thought, equal parts nervous and giddy while his stomach was practically doing a gymnastics routine. Isabella Mendoza was a girl he liked in LA, but she thought he was a dork and publicly humiliated him, but he now had a girl that was 10 times cuter than her, not to mention sexy.

"Y-yeah..." He said shakily, but smiling wide.

That was the magic answer as she just immersed herself into his embrace as the rest of his friends closed in around them.

_'This place just became that much better. I can't believe I actually have a girlfriend now...And holy crap is she CUTE...'_

From a nearby window, Miss Nekonome smiled at what she saw. Two lonely students finding what they needed and wanted in each other, both of them wanting acceptance. She knew of Isaac's past as well as Mizore's difficulties stemming from what she is, and she was hoping that the two of them would at least be friends, but the two of them hooking up was beyond what she'd aimed for.

"I just hope they act responsibly, meow!" She chirped as she left for her residence, a slight spring in her step.

Back with the group, Isaac and Tsukune finally got down to training while Yukari had her talk with the Ice Girl.

"Okay...You say you like him and want to be with him...But are you sure? I just don't want some girl to come along and hurt him. He's been through enough." The witchling stated seriously, but the Snow Maiden simply shook her head.

"I know what I'm getting into with him and no, I am not toying with him. You should know about what is happening to my race...Why we're slowly dying out." Mizore informed the other girls, who realized that the Yuki-onna are on the verge of dying out, their number just under 200.

"So, you really have chosen him as your life mate...That's as serious as it gets. Succubi are in the same boat." Kurumu agreed, seeing where she was coming from.

"That means she won't turn on him or anything like that?" Yukari asked Kurumu.

"That's right. She's a lot like me, our races hanging in the balance. It's hard for Yuki-onna to find mates because not many men can withstand the freezing cold of their domain. We Succubi can get men easily, but we can only have children with our Destined Ones. If our Destined one rejects us...We die, and our race is that much closer to dying out forever." Kurumu stated gravely, the pressure getting to her. She quickly switched away from this depressing subject.

"So...What attracted you to him?" Kurumu asked the Snow Girl, who colored slightly as the girls began to talk amongst themselves while watching Tsukune get his ass kicked in Self-Defense training.

_**ONE WEEK LATER...**_

A full week had gone by as the Ice Girl and the Conduit continued to feel out their new relationship, getting more comfortable with each other with each passing day. A few of the girls in Homeroom were somewhat miffed that Mizore managed to snag the new guy, but any beef they had with her she took head on, usually leaving a few ice sculptures in her wake. This showed that she refused to be intimidated or back down, even when Tamao Ichinose made a play for Isaac once again and in front of Mizore, no less. It was a brazen and bold move, but the young Snow Maiden was anything but polite in telling her to back off, giving her ten good reasons : Each blade of her razor sharp Ice Claws that were capable of cutting through a metal pole with a single slash, which she was more than happy to demonstrate. The Mermaid and her cronies decided that discretion was the better part of valor and backed off, assisted by a small salvo of icy projectiles.

The two could usually be seen hanging around the quad area between the school buildings, with the rest of their friends understanding that they would want some time alone every now and then. Moka was very happy for the two of them and thought that they made a cute couple. She hoped that she and Tsukune would get together like they did eventually. Kurumu couldn't resist the urge to tease once and a while, while Mizore and the Succubus actually became friends. Tsukune was also happy for the two of them, believing Isaac needed something positive in his life for a change and noticed that he didn't try to hide while changing as much anymore. Yukari was the one to notice the most changes about him, seeing as she constantly hung around him. She noticed that he smiled much more often than before and his whole aura seemed to lighten up considerably. However...Their relationship would already be put to it's first test...

It was during class, just before the lunch bell was going to ring when the door opened to reveal a rather tall man with very short blond hair and grey eyes being escorted by none other than the headmaster himself.

"Meow? Headmaster, what can I do for you?" Nekonome asked politely.

"It is nothing negative, Miss Nekonome, however, young Mr. Rodriguez has a visitor who would like to speak with him." Mikogami stated as the man stepped forward. He seemed to radiate a calm confidence, which was reflected in his stride, as well as an aura of strength.

"Cole? What are you doing here?" Isaac asked, his friends murmuring amongst themselves.

_"Wow..."_ Tsukune whispered in awe and reverence.

As Cole was described to him, the elder Conduit was like a living superhero, who fought impossible odds to save as many people as he could, as well as someone that he was beginning to look up to. Inner Moka could see and feel his power through the Rosario, and trembled slightly. She also regarded him with a sense of respect, unusual for someone with her level of pride. Mizore was also awed to a certain degree, but felt that she owed this man a great debt. He was the one who made it possible to even be with her beloved.

"We need to talk, kiddo. But I'm kinda hungry..." He replied to his protégé's question.

"Yeah...We can go to the cafeteria and get some lunch." Isaac answered, but noticed Cole's gaze falling on his friends.

"It's okay. They know what we are, but they don't care about that." The younger Conduit threw out there, Cole's expression softening as he nodded, all of them leaving the classroom to get some lunch.

_**SCHOOL CAFETERIA...**_

As they made their way to the eatery, Cole was given a small tour of the campus and was somewhat impressed...And tempted to climb all of the old-styled building fixtures. He also got to see a couple of the teachers there and wondered one thing...

_'Holy hell...I wonder if it's too late to go back to high school...I don't remember my teachers being that hot...'_ He though, commenting on Miss Ririko and Miss Nekonome as they walked on. He also spotted his young apprentice holding the hand of a rather striking young lady with purple hair and icy blue eyes, smirking when he caught the two of them looking at each other shy smiles.

_'I bet Zeke would love a picture of this...'_ Cole chuckled to himself as he took a clandestine pic with his special camera.

_'So...The kid managed to snag himself a girlfriend already? She's a cute one, too. Looks like I win the bet, Zeke.' _Cole thought while they moved along, the youngest member of the group asking him a question.

"So...You really have lightning powers?" She asked.

"More like Electrokinesis. Here, watch this..." He replied, charging some light static into his hand and discreetly holding it above Tsukune's head, making his hair stand on end.

Moka, who was talking to him at the time, tried and failed to suppress a giggle at her beau's new hairstyle while he himself failed to notice. They got to see a playful side of Cole that not many got to see nowadays, seeing past his stern looking exterior.

Finally, they all grabbed some food, piping hot Udon, and sat down at their usual table, taking the opportunity to introduce themselves. He did a double take at Mizore's introduction, since her powers reminded him of Lucy Kuo.

_'Heh... A vampire, succubus, Snow Maiden, and a witch for friends and all girls too, cute ones at that, except for the boy...It's funny how the so called monsters are more accepting than the humans who called us monsters.'_

"It's good to know the kid's been making friends here...Mmm, this is good." Cole replied, taking a bite of his food before continuing what he came there for.

"Anyway...Ol' Mikogami's been helping us search for others and he found two." The senior Conduit stated, Isaac's eyes widening slightly.

"Where?"

"In Japan, someplace call Seitou. Anyway, Zeke already staked it out and the DUP doesn't know about them yet as far as we know. I want you to come with me since one of the Conduits is a girl a couple of years younger than you. I figure that you could level with her easier than I could without scaring her even more." Cole reasoned.

It made sense, since the girl was likely scared out of her mind and the presense of another like herself and closer to her own age would likely be a calming effect on her, making her less likely to lash out with her new powers.

"You already got permission from the school, didn't you?" Isaac asked.

"You bet. You know I like having my bases covered." Cole replied with a smirk as he asked another question.

"...Okay then. When do we leave and how long will we be gone?"

"We leave today, as early as possible. We should be done and back within 6 days at the most." Cole stated, noting the look of apprehension on the face of Mizore.

_'We only just got together and now he's leaving for a week? What will I do?'_ Mizore questioned herself, but saw the determined look on her boyfriend's face.

_'I see...He's determined to do this, to help give his race a fighting chance. I'd do the same thing in his place...'_ She reasoned, her apprehension gone.

"Alright. Let me grab some clothes and gear from my room and give Tsukune here a training plan to work on while I'm gone." Isaac said as he charged off to grab his gear while Cole walked to the bus stop to wait, the rest of Isaac's friends going with him.

"The kid told me he was training you in self-defense and parkour?" Cole asked of Tsukune, who was still a little star struck from meeting Cole in person.

"Y-yes sir!" Tsukune answered, standing ram rod straight.

"Easy...I'm not that important, you know." Cole muttered as Moka spoke up.

"Isaac told us about you and now Tsukune kind of idolizes you. To him, you're like a comic book hero come to life." The pink haired vampire explained, but had thoughts of her own.

_'It's hard to believe he was once human...'_ She thought as Cole gave him some pointers until he got to see what daily life was like for the brown haired boy. Moka tried to steal a sip from her favorite juice box aka Tsukune, Kurumu pried her off and began rubbing herself on him while Mizore and Yukari froze/pan attacked the pair to stop them from fighting.

_'It's like a circus around here...But damned if it doesn't look like fun. The kid really is lucky.'_ Cole chuckled as his apprentice and young partner showed up in time for the bus to emerge from the tunnel.

"Well...This is it. I'll be back in a week at the latest." He stated, the others stepping up to say their farewells, especially little Yukari, whom he actually picked up for a brief moment. But she stepped out of the way to allow Mizore in, the Ice Girl hugging him tightly while giving him a deep kiss, which Cole also snapped a pic of for he and Zeke to needle him about later.

"For luck..." She whispered before pulling away, allowing him to board the bus.

As the bus drove off into the darkness of the tunnel she stayed for a moment longer.

"Please...Come back to me..." She whispered as she headed back to the school, but didn't notice a figure hiding nearby, this person wearing a school uniform.

_'So her boyfriend will be gone for a week or so...Perfect. I can make her mine along with that Succubus chick. She just needs the proper...Motivation.'_ The figured thought sinisterly as he slunk back toward the school.

_**AFTER CLASSES LATER THAT DAY...**_

Mizore had just left her friends and headed for her room to study for a small quiz that was coming up when she noticed that someone was following her. She was already a little irritable since her boyfriend had to go on a mission for a week, so she was in no mood for games.

"Come out...NOW." She demanded, hostility in her tone.

From behind a tree, a young man stepped out with a sheepish smile on his face. He had been stalking her for some time, along with Kurumu, Yukari and Moka. His name is Nagare Kano, another member of the fanclub the previous trio of freaks belonged to as well as a member of the photography club. He already knew about everything that had happened with Kotsubo and was planning on using that to get her to go out with him, but Isaac stepped in and took Kotsubo out. His new plan centered on manipulating an incident that would see him expelled, sliding into _comfort_ her, then using that as a starting point to get to the other girls and get rid of Tsukune. In the end, this creepy little pervert planned on having his own private harem comprised of all four girls, no matter if they liked it or not.

"No need to be so hostile Mizore-chan. My name is Nagare Kano. I've always had a crush on you, and I've been watching you for a while now. You are so beautiful..." He said placating as he discreetly began to release a small amount of paralyzing gas to immobilize her.

"Wha...What did you do to me?" She demanded angrily, unable to summon up ice or even move to beat the crap out of this creep as the gas took effect, Nagare advancing on her.

"I know that stupid Yankee trash already claimed you, but don't count on him staying here much longer. I know that in a fight, he would completely destroy me in a few seconds, but why fight when I can simply make it so that he gets expelled?" Nagare smiled disturbingly as he grasped her chin, forcing her to look at him.

"Y-you wouldn't dare...I'll kill you before I let that happen." Mizore snarled, a defiant flame in her icy blue eyes.

"I knew you'd say that...So I arranged for a little insurance." Nagare shot back, kissing her on the lips as he took a picture of it.

"Bastard!" She yelled at him in disgust, still unable to move.

"If you even try to do anything against me, I'll distribute this picture all over school and we'll see what your precious gaijin mongrel thinks of you then. You'll do exactly as I say from now on." He ordered as he dragged her away, laughing at the tears that fell from her eyes.

"You bastard..." She sobbed as she slowly lapsed into unconsciousness.

_**TWO DAYS LATER...**_

"Meow? Miss Shirayuki? Is she absent again?" Miss Nekonome asked with concern.

"Come to think of it, I haven't seen her or Yukari in a couple of days." Kurumu added, she and the others getting worried too.

"I'm getting really worried about them...I hope nothing bad happened to them." Moka suggested, but when she tried to meet up with the young witch, she was nowhere to be found. They tried knocking on her door at the dorms, no one answered. Kurumu picked the lock to search inside, but it appeared as though no one had been there for a couple of days.

"This is really strange...We need to find them." Tsukune stated, the girls agreeing with him as they spread out to search while Nagare watched where the girls went, following Moka.

_'I can have them all to myself...He he he!'_ He thought in perverse glee as he slunk after her.

He finally caught up to her near the school cafeteria and and slipped into his monster form, that of a slug, and snuck in close, releasing his special paralysis gas to immobilize her before she even knew he was there. It took a few moments longer due to her inheirent Vampire resistance to such things, but it wore her down until she couldn't even stand up.

"Wh-what happened...to me?! I c-can't move!" Moka bleated out, trying and failing to move her body as she saw someone advancing on her.

"Who...are you?" She asked, straining to even use her voice.

"Moka-chan...I've been watching you since you first came to this school. You can do so much better than a louse like Aono. I saw how he made you cry during the pool incident and when he was peeping, Moka-chan. I'd _never_ do that to you...If you were mine, just like your friends Yukari-chan and Mizore-chan." Nadare stated cruelly as he knelt before her prostrate form, cupping her chin with a sickening smirk while Ura raged within the Rosario.

_**"DAMN YOU! I'LL KILL YOU!"**_ She roared as she violently fought the seal, but it was too strong, even for her.

"Let me...go! Don't touch me!" Moka resisted him, trying to jerk away from his touch but he just grasped harder as he closed in for a kiss when a voice yelled out next to him.

"GET OFF OF HER!" Tsukune bellowed, punt kicking Nadare in the stomach and making him writhe in pain as he checked on Moka.

"Are you okay, Moka?!" He asked frantically as he helped her stand.

"Tsukune...It's you!" She cried, inner Moka's opinion of him rising.

_**"He was such a weakling before, but he really came through for us this time. Isaac is slowly shaping him into a man we can depend on."**_ She stated to her outer self, who was in total agreement.

"What did he do to you?" The young man asked the vampire.

"I...I don't know. He sprayed me with some kind of gas and then I couldn't move. He tried to kiss me, but then you saved me." She told him as Kurumu flew in, landing next to them as Moka told them what Nagare had said.

"That sick little freak! Not only Mizore, but little Yukari?! I'll kill him!" The Succubus snarled with barely restrained rage as she rounded on the little creep, only to see him sneaking off into the kitchens in his slug form.

"Get back here!" She yelled as she and Tsukune tore off after him, to beat the location of their friends out of him if they had to.

_'Damn that Aono...In my slug form, that wouldn't have hurt but in human form that hurt like hell! On top of that, he interrupted my moment with Moka-chan! I need to hide until this blows over.'_ Nagare thought as he slid into a hiding spot as he heard the kitchen doors crash open.

"Damnit! Where is he?!" Kurumu yelled.

"He's probably hiding in here. Be careful. Moka said he uses some kind of paralysis gas." Tsukune warned, handing her a small towel soaked in water to use as an improvised gas mask and handing her a handful of salt.

"What's this for?" She asked as he leaned in to tell her what salt does to slugs, a devious smirk forming on her lips.

"Time for this little sicko to pay." She replied as they spread out to look for him.

_'They're getting closer...I gotta get out of here!'_ Nagare panicked as he tried to make a break for to the door, but he knocked over a pot, which fell to the floor with a loud bang, getting their attention very quickly.

"There he is! You're not getting away!" Tsukune yelled as he threw his handful of salt on Nagare, causing his skin to boil and burn.

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHGGGGGGGGGGGG!" Nagare screamed in agony, shifting back to his human form which was now covered in nasty burns.

"Where are Mizore and Yukari?! Tell me NOW, you sick little bastard!" Kurumu screamed in his face, holding the salt in her hands threateningly while positioning her elongated nails directly at his throat.

"NO! NO MORE SALT! I'll talk..." Nagare screamed, then whimpered piteously as he told them where he had hidden them and what he had done, prompting Kurumu to kick him in the crotch for good measure.

_**PHOTOGRAPHY CLUB ROOM...**_

After getting a teacher to take Nagare away and the effects of the gas wearing off on Moka, they left to search the room Nagare told them about. At first, they couldn't find anything but Tsukune stumbled onto a small switch that jutted out from the floor near a wall.

"Kurumu...Get ready..." Tsukune told them as he tripped the switch, revealing their two missing friends, but also a cloud of that paralysis gas. The trio managed to avoid getting stunned by the noxious fumes which they guessed was meant to keep them from escaping and let the room air out before they could enter and free their friends.

Yukari came to first, Kurumu waking her up as the small witchling threw herself into the Succubi's arms, wailing her heart out. Mizore came to after Moka revived her, the ice girl telling them everything that happened. Nagare hadn't molested them too much beyond a little groping, but that was already going too far, especially where Yukari was concerned. He also made them dress up in cosplay for his entertainment, taking pictures of it for his private collection.

"Isaac is going to _kill_ him once he finds out..." Tsukune muttered.

Once Isaac got back and found out, he'd be out for blood and would hunt Nagare down, doing unspeakably horrible things to the creepy little pervert for doing this not only to his adopted little sister, but to his girlfriend who had already been through a traumatic experience recently.

Once they had rescued their friends, the headmaster ruled that Nagare was to be expelled from Youkai within a week's time for his heinous actions.

"He'd better pray he leaves before Isaac gets back. He won't even leave a corpse behind after he's through." Tsukune sighed as he went to sleep. Little did he know how right he was, especially after what the little troll pulled next.

_**TWO DAYS LATER...**_

Two days later, Nagare was supposed to be escorted off of campus and kicked out, but he managed to slip away from his escort and hid himself somewhere on campus. Many of the faculty and some students joined in the manhunt for Nagare, but thus far he has managed to evade capture.

"This just can't get any worse..." Tsukune muttered.

Never say that...Because things CAN get worse...MUCH worse.

_**CONTINUED IN THE NEXT CHAPTER...**_

_** A/N: Here you guys go. For those who wanted MizorexOC...Ta da! I had it planned this way from the beginning. Moka was WAY overused and Mizore was somewhat shunted to the back. Isaac also has a couple of abilities that are similar to Cole's, such as his Bio Leech and the Thunder Drop. Also, Tsukune's balls are actually dropping, with he and Kurumu taking down Nagare, who is a manga only character. I know that in the manga, he went after Kurumu, but I changed that for my fic. Also, Nagare's nightmare has only just begun...As you'll have to tune in next time to see! Same Bat time...Same Bat channel...**_


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